The Stones of Doom
by RB3
Summary: Complete Digimon 01Pokemon X-over. The Pokemon World is embroiled in a world war. Both Digidestined and Pokemon trainer must fight to restore peace to the Pokemon World.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:  
  
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom  
By: RB3  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
  
  
It was bright sunny morning in Primary Village, a place where young Digimon made their home. The In-Training level Digimon were gossiping amongst themselves on toys and games in their classroom. They were kindergarten students who were learning the things they needed before beginning real school. A hush fell amongst the students as a familiar face walked in. He resembled a small, red, rodent with violet markings. He was Elecmon, the caretaker of the Digimon and their teacher. It was time to begin class.  
  
"Hello kids! Today we're going to have class outside!"  
  
The Digimon cheered in ecstasy and followed Elecmon as he led them to a grassy hill. For today, Elecmon gave a lesson on the Digital World syllabary. The students repeated each syllable as Elecmon dictated. An hour and a half passed and Elecmon called for a recess. The Digimon played their games until Elecmon rang the bell to end recess. With Elecmon was a human that the Digimon didn't recognize.  
  
He was a robed young man in his twenties with a tanned complexion. His robe was yellowing, hooded, and made him seen like a religious figure. His brown hair was messed up from wearing his hood. He carried some materials in his hands, no doubt teaching aids for his class. Despite his age, he had wisdom far beyond his years and had lived for many millennia in the Digital World.  
  
"For the rest of class, we have a very special guest teacher. His name is Gennai. Class, say hello to Gennai!" proclaimed Elecmon.  
  
"Hello, Gennai!" said the class in unison.  
  
"Gennai's here to teach you the history and geography of the Digital World. Okay Gennai, they're all yours."  
  
Gennai walked before the class and set up a map of the Digital World. "Good day, kids we'll start with what you know. Can any tell me where on the map we are?"  
  
Gennai scanned the room for anyone willing to answer his question. A Koromon raised its ear and Gennai picked him.  
  
"We're in Primary Village!" answered the Koromon.  
  
"Good! Now can anyone show me on the map where Primary Village is?"  
  
A Motimon, a pink, ghost-like Digimon, raised its hand and Gennai called him. The Motimon went to the map and pointed to a large island named "File Island." It was to the northwest of a large continent called Server. Gennai congratulated the Motimon on a job well done. Gennai continued his a lesson on the worlds that made up the larger Digital World.  
  
The world the Digimon were in was called the Middleworld. Since it was often incorrectly referred to as the Digital World itself, the name stuck. The four Sovereigns of the cardinal points of the compass ruled it. The Sovereigns were Azulongmon of the East, Zhuqiaomon of the South, Baihumon of the West, and Ebonwumon of the North. Most of the major historical events of the Digital World were centred in this world.  
  
"Perhaps some day, you'll grow up to become one of their servants. It is an honour and a privilege to serve a Sovereign," remarked Gennai.  
  
There were two other smaller worlds that were linked to the Middleworld. They were the Underworld and the Upperworld. The Underworld was also known as the Dark Area. It was a world of perpetual night where the dead were sent after they died. The Sovereign Anubismon, who presided over the dead, ruled it. This world was also a gigantic prison and punishment area for Digimon who were evil in life.  
  
After remaining in the Dark Area for a few years, the dead will be sent to the Upperworld. The Upperworld was also known as Paradise or the Heavens. Here was where magic was worked on the dead to enable them to be reborn. For Digimon, this meant they were transformed to eggs and dumped into Primary Village for Elecmon to raise as his children. This Upperworld was controlled by Lucemon and was the opposite of the Dark Area, as it was a world of perpetual day.  
  
"Does anyone know who the Dark Masters were?" asked Gennai.  
  
The Motimon raised its hand again. "They were four evil Digimon who were beat by the Digidestined."  
  
"Excellent. Now kids, gather round and I'm going to tell you the story about how the Digidestined came to our world and saved it."  
  
The children gathered around Gennai as he sat down and pulled out a book. The book was a simple fairy tale book with big, bright pictures. It was clearly written with children in mind. Gennai turned to the first page and began with the summoning of the Digidestined. The Digidestined, also known as the Chosen Children, were seven children from a world outside of the Digital World called the Real World.  
  
They met up with their seven partner Digimon and received their Digivices. They eventually fought an evil Digimon named Devimon who turned other Digimon evil with Black Gears. The Digidestined eventually defeated Devimon and learned of their Crests from Gennai. The Crests unlocked higher stages of Digivolution if the Digidestined embraced the trait represented by the Crest. While searching for the Crests, the Digidestined defeated another evil Digimon named Etemon.  
  
The seven soon learned that there were really eight Digidestined and not seven. An evil Digimon named Myotismon went to the Real World to find the eighth child and prevent her from joining the others. The Digidestined found the eighth Chosen Child and defeated Myotismon. Even with his death, Myotismon was not finished. He Digivolved to his Mega form of Venom Myotismon. The Digidestined were able to defeat him by following an ancient prophecy about angels and the undead king.  
  
Their last opponents were the Dark Masters and their creator, Apocalymon. They sealed the Sovereigns away with dark magic and warped the Digital World into Spiral Mountain. One by one the children defeated the Dark Masters and restored the Digital World. Apocalymon confronted them afterwards and turned the Digidestined and their Digimon to data. By embracing the power of their Crests, the Digidestined Digivolved their partners and returned to their normal forms. They then proceeded to defeat Apocalymon and to restore the Digital World to normal.  
  
After Apocalymon's defeat, the Sovereigns were freed of their imprisonment and the time of the Digital World and Real World were synchronized. The story of the Chosen Children ended in a sad note. The Digidestined were forced to return to their home world and leave behind the Digimon friends they loved. Three years have passed and the Digital was still at peace.  
  
The In-Training Digimon were enthralled by the tale that Gennai told. They really enjoyed the tale and wanted him to return some time in the future to tell more stories. The tale took a long time to tell, and class dismissed for the day. The Digimon merrily filed out of their class and make the trek home.  
  
  
**********************************************  
  
  
Silph Co. was a company with a strong reputation for creating quality technological products. Silph Co. was most well known for their excellent Pokemon handling products. It was Silph that created the incredible Master Ball, which always caught any Pokemon it was thrown at. Like with all successful companies, Silph did not rest on its laurels.  
  
Silph had discovered a new world through the use of new top-secret technologies. These technologies dealt with the creation and stabilization of gates to other dimensional planes. They had sent Porygons and Porygon 2s into the world to explore without endangering human lives. These Pokemon were programmed to relay audio/visual information directly to mission control. The new world was filled with land perfect for the construction of new commercial assets for Silph.  
  
One such Porygon had stumbled onto a brightly coloured village that looked like it was made for children. Brightly coloured toy blocks made up towers scattered amongst the village. The syllabary used by the inhabitants was cryptic and undecipherable. The buildings themselves were squat and compact, obviously meant for inhabitants that were short in stature.  
  
A loud bell rang, marking the end of a school day. Mission control looked on in wonder as they saw several head-like creatures filing out of a building. The vast majority of these creatures lacked the limbs normally found in living creatures. They were only children judging by their high pitched voices and fun-loving behaviour. Mission control mistook these creatures for the Pokemon they were familiar with. Not only that, these "Pokemon" could speak human language!  
  
The Porygon grazed a white-robed man in the leg. This man was Gennai and he instinctively moved his leg and looked downward. "Hey, be careful! I couldn't see you down there. I could have stepped on you by accident!"  
  
The Porygon responded in its monotonous robotic voice: "OK, I'll be more careful next time."  
  
The Porygon went away as the man watched it leave. Mission control was delighted to discover that the new world actually had sentient life in it. They reported their findings to the higher ups at Silph, who in turn announced their discoveries to the world. Silph's report spurred a massive demand for construction of a commercial gate to enter the world. The media outlets spread the word to a world waiting with bated breath:  
  
"Breaking news! Silph Co. has reported the discovery of a new world. Silph is well known for its quality Pokemon care products such as the Master Ball. Through state of the art technologies, Silph has created the first working dimensional portal. Their explorations have shown that there is life in this world that resemble the Pokemon we all know and love."  
  
In the electronics section of the Celadon Department Store, customers and even staff gathered to watch TV. Among them were a group of Pokemon trainers shopping for gear. They were completely enthralled as they watched the recordings taken by exploring Porygons. In one footage, the Porygon recorded an egg-like creature drawing soup from what looked like a pond. In another, the Porygon returned footage of a village resembling a children's theme park. In the final one, the Porygon recorded a giant bird of fire, which resembled an evil version of the Legendary Ho-oh and eclipsed the land in its shadow.  
  
"Cool, new Pokemon! If I'm ever going there, I'm going to catch one!" bragged a male trainer.  
  
"The first one looks like a relative of Togepi!" commented another female trainer.  
  
"That last one must be a Legendary!" remarked a female trainer.  
  
Pokemon trainers were especially eager to catch the new "Pokemon" from the other world. They especially wanted to get a hold of mighty Legendaries like the bird of fire. The new Pokemon would be great additions to their line-ups. Being the "discoverer" of a new species of Pokemon was also their ticket to fame and fortune. These things were too sweet to ignore for the Pokemon trainers.   
  
Many other businesses also sought new opportunities in the new world. This new world represented land to them that could be used for any number of operations. This land could be used to house mines and cash-crop farms. In the case of the farms, there would surely be new kinds of vegetation usable for food.   
Scientists were motivated by the desire to learn all they can. They wanted to make discoveries and increase the credentials behind their names. There was life in this world and they intended to learn all they could about it.  
  
Investors of all kinds invested in Silph in search of these opportunities and hence, profit. Silph Co.'s stocks rose to an all time high at the Saffron Stock Exchange, beating out every other business. Over the course of several months, Silph Co. constructed gates for commercial use. In his boardroom in Silph Co., President Silph and his board of directors listened to a status report.  
  
"So how is construction of the new gates coming along?" asked Silph.  
  
The head of R&D was filled with enthusiasm. "We are on schedule! Construction of the gates is complete. All that needs to be done is fine-tuning and safety checks. We can have the gates open within two weeks."  
  
"And what about the construction of Silph Town?"  
  
"All the basic necessities are in place. We have already constructed a Pokemon Center for Pokemon care and hospitals. There are several complete buildings that are ready for use as homes and to house businesses."  
  
The president was pleased with the report. "Excellent!" 


	2. Another Goldenrod Opportunity

Disclaimer:  
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom  
By: RB3  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: Another Goldenrod Opportunity  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Our story begins with our hero, Ash Ketchum having defeated the Goldenrod Gym leader Whitney. He won the coveted Plain Badge through the application of clever strategy. He went north with his friends and competed in a bug catching contest where he met Casey again. After the meeting, Ash heard about the approaching opening week of Silph's dimensional gate.   
  
"Many people are gathered here at Saffron City to celebrate the opening of the gate for commerce. Beyond this gate is a world filled with species of Pokemon never before seen. With me now is Professor Samuel Oak, a leading Pokemon researcher. Professor would you like to make any comments on the Pokemon of this world or the world itself?"   
  
"I'm setting up a lab in the other world to study these new Pokemon. With all the new Pokemon there, I'm going to be busy catalogue their behaviour for the scientific community. I would advise that trainers be careful dealing with these new Pokemon. We don't know how dangerous or aggressive these Pokemon are..."   
  
In a faraway Miltank ranch, Ash Ketchum listened and was moved by the hype and excitement. As an aspiring Pokemon Master, he wanted to go dearly and improve himself in the new world. This improvement would come in several forms. Ash could learn many more secrets about Pokemon themselves. Ash also wanted to acquire new Pokemon for his team. Ash's friends, Brock, and Misty, also had a similar goal too. The new Pokemon would be excellent additions to diversify their Pokemon line-ups further.   
  
"Uncle Milton wants to expand the family business into the other world. I can get you in for free if you want," suggested Whitney.   
  
"Really?" asked Ash.   
  
"Sure! I can bring along a few people as long as they are meant to help set up or operate a business."   
  
"Who will look after your Gym?" asked Brock.   
  
"I've got that covered, don't worry."   
  
"Well then, I guess we'll be going with Whitney," proclaimed Ash.   
  
"The monorail just opened a few days ago. We'll be taking it to go to Saffron. I also heard a new Gym Leader is opening his Gym in the other world. His Badge can be used to enter the Johto League championships!"   
  
Ash was elated. "Even better! New Pokemon and a new Gym Badge! What are we waiting for? Let's get the tickets and go!"   
  
After lunch, the group packed their belongings to go on the trip. After a long wait in a line up, Ash, Brock, Misty and Whitney took seats with a window on the right. The monorail was filled with people who mostly had professional interests in the world. They included scientists, and businessmen and women from a countless number of industries. There were a few trainers amongst the crowd, but not as many as there could be. The bulk of the trainers would be coming the day after when the gate opened to the public.   
  
Ash stepped out momentarily to get a meal for himself and his Pikachu. The train entered a dark tunnel that connected the lands of Johto and Kanto together. Fortunately, the lights on the train turned on so everyone could see in the darkness. On his way back, he saw the familiar faces of Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny seated at a table near the doorway. Both women were wearing plain clothes and not their work uniforms. He approached them to make conversation.   
  
"Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy! Are you going to the new world too?" he asked.   
  
"Yeah, I just graduated from medical school a few weeks ago. I know my talents will be needed in the new Pokemon Center there," said Joy with enthusiasm.   
  
"Me too. I just graduated from the police academy. They need new officers there to keep the peace. I'm going to do my part," added Jenny with pride.   
  
"Wow, seems everybody wants to go to the new world. I'm going to there as part of my training to be a Pokemon Master! My name's Ash Ketchum and I hope to see you on the other side."   
  
Sunlight lit up the car again as it exited the cave to Kanto. Ash finished his meal and returned to his seat in the passenger car. Misty was busy tending to her Togepi. Togepi climbed onto the windowsill to peer outside at the passing landscape. Soon the grey, metallic buildings of Saffron City loomed in the distance. The monorail stopped at the station in Saffron and the horde of explorers and entrepreneurs disembarked for the new world.   
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
At the site of the dimensional gate, hundreds of professionals and entrepreneurs attended the opening ceremony. It was very crowded even without the general public attending. The dimensional gate itself was actually several gates linked together. They resembled metallic arches whose electronics hummed as they stabilized a portal. A tube ran into each gate, and each tube contained a pair of rails leading to the gate.   
  
At the other end of each pair of rails was a bullet-shaped metal pod the size of a bus. These shiny grey pods had windows at all around it much like a bus would have. Inside were several seats meant for passengers and in the primary seat were the drivers of the pods. The controls were complex and consisted of a series of cryptic flashing lights and buttons. Judging by the set up of the pods and gates, the pods were shot into the gates like a bullet from a rail gun.   
  
The master of ceremonies gave a stirring speech about the thrill of discovery and the wonders of exploration. Beyond the gate laid wonders never before seen by human or Pokemon kind. Beyond the gate may also lay great peril and danger. The MC urged the attending crowd to have courage in the face of adversity. The ancestors of the people in the crowd had in the past migrated around Kanto and Johto. They never knew what lurked outside of civilisation, but persevered and prospered.   
  
After the cutting of the ribbon, the gate was fired up for its first commercial use. The humming grew louder and resonated in the wind. An image of the interior of a tube began to form in the archways. All around the tube was a verdant forest filled with the beauty of nature. The wondrous sight before them captivated the crowd.   
  
Ash and his friends boarded one of the pods and patiently waited for the ride to begin. The doors closed after all the passengers entered. The driver ran through several last minute system checks as the portal was opened before them. Suddenly, they were shot into the gate! The world around turned to a hi-tech grid of data that shimmered. The pathway wound up, down and all around like a death-defying roller coaster ride.   
  
"Whoa, I never knew dimensional travel was this rough!" commented Ash over the screaming of the passengers.   
  
Misty was disoriented to the point of nausea. "I going to be dizzy!"   
  
The sudden shifting of the pod in so many directions was disorienting Pikachu. Pikachu's eyes swirled in a comical manner before he finally gave up and collapsed. Ash tried his best to comfort his long time pal as best he could. The scene soon changed to the world they saw previously at the ceremony. They have finally entered the new world. Ash and company disembarked rushed Pikachu to the newly completed Pokemon Center to help him out.   
  
"Pikachu..." said Pikachu as his voice trailed off.   
  
"Here, have Pikachu take this pill with water," directed Nurse Joy. "It will help fix him up right away."   
  
"Thanks Nurse Joy. Okay Pikachu, you heard what she said," said Ash as he fed Pikachu his medicine. "Say Nurse Joy, have you heard anything about the new Gym being opened in Silph town?"   
  
"Oh yes. The Gym will open in two days. There's also a big parade and celebration tomorrow in Silph town when the gate is opened to the public."   
  
Brock amorously rushed up to Joy and held her hand. "Oh, Joy, I'd love it if you'd go to the celebration with me! We will party all day and night."   
  
Misty grabbed and yanked Brock by the ear. "Easy there Brock, you're not that much of a party animal..."   
  
"We have some time until tomorrow, what should we do?" asked Ash.   
  
"I need some help at my ranch, but only during the night at around 6 or 7 o'clock," requested Whitney.   
  
"Alright, it's the least we could do. I know! Why don't we go check out some of the new Pokemon?"   
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
In a remote part of the Digital World, a man in ceremonial robes communed with the powers of the world. His hood veiled his face as he gazed upon their manifestations. Before him stood six nimbuses of light arranged as a cross. The first nimbus on the top was as green as nature itself. The nimbus on the right was a vibrant azure. The bottom nimbus was a fiery crimson. The left nimbus was as white as snow. Between the four nimbuses were two more; one of gold on the top and a black one on the bottom.   
  
The voice of the green nimbus bellowed as it spoke: "It appears that there are people coming to live in our world."   
  
The voice of the gold nimbus echoed in the wind: "I feel we should leave them be. Unless they threaten our world, we shouldn't interfere in their lives. It may even be beneficial to our world to have them here."   
  
The anger-filled voice of the red nimbus crackled: "Nonsense! They will only be a threat in time. They may have innocent intentions now, but that will soon change... Their thoughts will turn to greed, and our world will pay the price!"   
  
The white nimbus' voice rasped with strength: "I agree. We should be prepared. However, I feel that it is only a small fraction of our 'guests' that will be that way. I believe that there are many who are virtuous among them. Still, I'm preparing my people for war should it ever arise. I will tolerate these people."   
  
The black nimbus' voice echoed mysteriously: "The Dark Area is prepared to handle their newly dead. I will not interfere with the new surface-dwellers."   
  
The voice of the blue nimbus echoed with wisdom: "They have made their home on an island in my domain. I will let them be. Since we cannot come to an agreement, I propose this: Those who were not in favour will have their domains closed off. The Dark Area and Paradise, because of their purposes, will also be made off-limits and by extension so will File Island. Does everyone agree with my proposal?"   
  
The nimbuses of light agreed to the terms of the declaration unanimously.   
  
The blue nimbus declared: "So, the Sovereigns have spoken! Therefore, Gennai, it is your task to bring our decree to the newcomers and exchange information with them for the greater good. The other domains will be considered areas where they are permitted to move freely."   
  
A parchment materialized in Gennai's hand. He bowed before his omnipotent masters and travelled to submit the decree.   
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
Brock pulled out a map and gazed at its information. Currently, Brock and the others were in the square of Silph Town. Silph Town was the settlement constructed by Silph Co. and it was at the southern end of a tropical island. The island itself was shaped like a cigar and named "Silph." Ash and Misty looked at the map over Brock's shoulder.   
  
"Why don't we go north?" suggested Ash. "We can't go too far since we promised Whitney that we'd help her..."   
  
"Hey, there's a beach nearby." Misty eyes became alit with stars as she fantasized about Water Pokemon. "I want to go there to check out all the wonderful new Water Pokemon!"   
  
"That sounds good. So Brock where do you want to go?" asked Ash.   
  
"Hmmm, I'd like to check the mountainous region for some Rock and Ground Pokemon. We'll pass by the beach, so let's go there first."   
  
They trolled the beach looking for any of the new Pokemon they heard about. The chanced upon a diminutive, crab-like creature that was moving across the sand. This creature resembled a Krabby, only it had a greyish-blue shell instead of a red one. It wasn't aware of their presence, being very intent on going somewhere unknown.   
  
Ash scanned the Pokemon with his Pokedex. The Pokedex gave Ash a bizarre jumble of symbols and characters that he didn't recognize. It seemed as though the Pokedex had malfunctioned. Ash tried to correct the problem to the best of his ability, but nothing he did worked. Ash gave up in frustration and decided to let Oak check it out when he returned.   
  
"The Pokedex doesn't seem to be working. Looks like I'm going to catch that Pokemon and show it to Professor Oak!" proclaimed Ash. "Go, Pikachu! Thun..."   
  
Misty interrupted Ash's attack. "I'm taking this one, Ash! You already have a Kingler. Staryu go! Tackle attack!"   
  
Staryu soared into the unaware creature like a spinning saw blade. The creature was struck and thrown into the air, landing flat on its back. Its legs twitched in the air as it tried to return back to an upright position. With the creature disabled, it was ready to be trapped into a Pokeball.   
  
"Pokeball, go!"   
  
Misty's Pokeball turned the crab-like creature to energy and drew it in. However, the Pokeball began to malfunction as well. The Pokeball flashed chaotically in red light, as if its circuitry was scrambled. Misty innate senses told her something was not right. Yet, she had no idea what the problem could be...   
  
"Something's wrong with the Pokeball..." she mumbled.   
  
The creature reappeared outside of the ball in a small burst of crimson energy. It was not happy at all...   
  
"Hey, what's the big idea? I'm just a Crabmon minding my own business until you bozos bopped me!" screamed Crabmon in fury.   
  
"HEY YOU! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"   
  
The three trainers and their Pokemon turned around to see the one berating them. Their jaws literally dropped upon discovering that it was a Pokemon, and especially since they could actually talk! This new creature was like a combination of a giant lobster and scorpion. A pair of giant hooked feelers extended from its mouth area. This flesh-coloured crustacean had a blade-like stinger with several more blades protruding from his back and another set used as the creature's legs. Their bewilderment was short-lived once the creature attacked!   
  
"Scorpion Storm!"   
  
A blinding gust of sand erupted from the creature's mouth. The trainers and their Pokemon began to cough and an unnatural fatigue fell over them. A mountain of sand covered them, leaving only their heads showing. Scorpiomon looked on the enemy with satisfaction.   
  
"That'll teach them not to pick on defenceless Crabmon again!"   
  
"You said it, Scorpiomon!"   
  
The two creatures slinked off into the ocean, leaving the trainers sprawled on the ground. Half an hour passed and everyone woke up. They made hacking coughs as they cleared the sand from their throats. They looked around but there was no sign of Crabmon or Scorpiomon anywhere. They had left while Ash and his friends were unconscious.   
  
Brock coughed. "We have to be more careful next time."   
  
"Ugh..." groaned Ash. "Those Pokemon can talk! I thought only Team Rocket's Meowth could do that..."   
  
"Looks like we have a lot to learn," continued Misty.   
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
The trainers travelled through a dense forest and found the mountains Brock wanted to see. At the base of the mountain was a small cat-like creature coming down the road. It resembled a Meowth, but had snow-white fur and bright blue eyes. It stood on two legs like Team Rocket's Meowth, and had yellow, striped gloves covering its front paws. On its striped tail was a golden ring with several characters of a cryptic language. This cat-like creature, a Digimon, was named Gatomon.   
  
Ash tried to scan Gatomon and encountered the same problem with Crabmon. "Hmmm... The Pokedex still isn't working."   
  
Gatomon looked on the Pokemon trainers with curiosity. She mistook them for some sort of new Digidestined that were travelling the Digital World. She looked at Pikachu and Togepi and didn't recognize them as any known Digimon. If Digidestined were in the Digital World, it usually meant there was trouble... However, it also gave her a new opportunity to be with Kari, as she would surely come to investigate.   
  
"How cute!" complimented Misty.   
  
"I wonder if this one can talk?" mumbled Brock.   
  
Gatomon heard Brock. "Of course I can talk! Who are you, and what are you doing here?"   
  
"I'm Ash Ketchum, a Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town. These are my friends; Pikachu, Brock, Misty, and Togepi."   
  
Everyone greeted Gatomon, including Pikachu. "Pikachu! (Hi, Gatomon!)"   
  
"I'm Gatomon, nice to meet you," said Gatomon to Pikachu.   
  
"You can understand what Pikachu's saying?" asked Ash.   
  
"Of course. He spoke in perfect human talk to me. I suppose you hear something else..."   
  
"Yeah, Pikachu sounds like he's saying his own name to me. Anyways, we're here to explore this world and see all the Pokemon there is to see," proclaimed Ash. "Can you tell us anything about this world and the Pokemon?"   
  
"I'm very familiar with the places of interest in the Digital World, but I doubt you'll find any 'Pokemon' here..."   
  
"What do you mean? You're a Pokemon, just like Pikachu and Togepi!"   
  
Gatomon shook her head. "I don't know what a Pokemon is... All I know is we're Digimon and you're in our world, the Digital World."   
  
"...But you look so much like a Pokemon," said Ash offhandedly.   
  
"I'm sorry but I don't what a Pokemon is. I'm just a Digimon."   
  
Brock stroked his chin in contemplation. "Hmmm... I'm beginning to think that she's not a Pokemon after all. We ARE in a new world, so things are different around here."   
  
"I think Brock's right..." remarked Misty. "Gatomon, what can you tell us about the Digital World?"   
  
"Like I said, we Digimon live here," she repeated. "The Sovereigns rule our world and protect it from those who would harm it."   
  
Brock looked up to see the sun beginning to set and glanced at his watch. "It's getting late and we should be heading back soon. Whitney will be angry if we're late..."   
  
Ash decided it would be best if Prof. Oak were around to hear Gatomon's information. "Actually, can you come with us back to town? We'd like you to continue your story. I know I'm asking a lot, but you don't have to go if you don't want to."   
  
Something in her mind told Gatomon that these people couldn't be Digidestined, despite sharing some similarities with them. "Who are they?" she mentally asked herself.   
  
From their conversation, she knew the creatures these three brought with them were clearly not Digimon. They seemed nice enough, but that could have been an appearance... Gatomon didn't fully trust these humans or their Pokemon, but this was a good opportunity to scout them out. She finally decided to return to town with them.   
  
"Okay, Ash. I'm very interested in hearing you story too."   
  
With Gatomon, Ash, Brock and Misty returned back to the ranch for the night. They piled up at Whitney's door and rang the bell. The doors opened to reveal a somewhat angry Whitney. The Pokemon trainers had come home late and were supposed to come earlier to complete chores. Whitney looked down to see Gatomon looking back at her.   
  
Whitney was impressed. "Way to go, Ash! You just came to this world and already you've caught an undiscovered new Pokemon. You're going to be famous!"   
  
"Uh, I'm not a Pokemon..." objected Gatomon.   
  
"Wow, it can talk too!" interrupted Whitney.   
  
"Ummm... "   
  
Brock chimed in: "It's a long story. This is Gatomon."   
  
Whitney and Gatomon introduced themselves to each other. "Gatomon, they promised to do some chores for me, so you'll have to wait for awhile to speak."   
  
"No problem," replied Gatomon.   
  
The Pokemon trainers' chores consisted of preparing food for dinner. The kitchen was bustling with cooks and helpers preparing food for the staff. Pots and pans hang from a clothesline across the wall. At a table, Brock was in an apron and his knife went up and down like a machine. He cut various vegetables like carrots and celery and gathered them into a holding pan.   
  
In the rear, Ash and Misty were seated on stools. They were separated by another stool on which a large pot rested. In their hands were peelers, and they used them to peel the skin off of potatoes. The skin fell onto a set of newspaper used as a mat. They threw each peeled potato into the pot when they were done. With their help, the ingredients were readied quicker and the Pokemon trainers would feast that much sooner.   
  
Whitney cut some beef into cutlets and threw them into a large cooking pot filled with water. The trainers brought their respective ingredients and mixed them in. With some help, Whitney loaded the pot onto the stove and started heated the stew. Within an hour, everyone could smell the stew and it made their mouths water in anticipation. Whitney served the stew to her friends and the ranch hands to a chorus of complements.   
  
Throughout the dinner, Gatomon talked about the ways of the Digimon. Gatomon made mention of the Digidestined, a group of children who fought the spread of evil forces. Gatomon was the Digimon partner of one of the Digidestined. Before becoming a partner, Gatomon worked for the very evil forces she now strived to defeat.   
  
"Mmmmm... that was a great stew," complemented Ash. He seemed bloated from the seconds and thirds he had consumed.   
  
"This food is great! Did you make it, Brock?" asked Gatomon between bites.   
  
"Yeah, it's my own recipe. I hope to be the best Pokemon breeder and raise strong Pokemon in the future. Being a good cook is one thing I need to be..."   
  
"You said you used to work for this bad Digimon," requested Whitney.   
  
Gatomon told them the story about how she used to work for an evil Digimon known as Myotismon. Before that time, Gatomon waited and searched for what seemed like a lifetime for someone. Before she could find that someone, she was forced into servitude by Myotismon and tortured simply for the defiance evident in her eyes. Eventually, Myotismon launched a campaign to locate and assassinate the eighth Digidestined, Hikari, or Kari for short.   
  
As she told her story, Gatomon grew more and more wistful. Kari was in actuality Gatomon's Digidestined partner and the person Gatomon waited so long for. Through the machinations of her friend Wizardmon, Gatomon discovered her true identity. Unfortunately, Myotismon found out as well... A life or death confrontation broke out between Myotismon and the Digidestined. The Digidestined prevailed, but not without Wizardmon sacrificing his life to protect her and Kari.   
  
Misty noticed Gatomon's wistful expression. "Are you alright?"   
  
"Yeah, I feel sad. We lost many good friends... Mimi felt the same way when we fought the Dark Masters."   
  
"You don't have to continue."   
  
"No, it's alright. Anyways, I Digivolved to Angewomon for the first time and with my new powers, I defeated Myotismon."   
  
"I heard you use that word 'Digivolve...' What does it mean?" asked Brock.   
  
"Digimon can transform to more powerful forms by Digivolving, like I did to fight Myotismon."   
  
Brock contemplated as he stroked his chin. "Hmmm, just like Pokemon. They can evolve too to more powerful forms."   
  
"It's time to sleep now. We need to wake up early for tomorrow's celebration," urged Whitney. 


	3. The Divine Decree

grochek1:  
This Lucemon isn't the same as the Frontier one, everything is made up.   
  
This fic is set after 01 and before 02, so the Digimon Emperor hasn't ascended to power yet. Malo Myotismon and Daemon, however, will show up, but probably not in the way you'd think.   
  
  
  
about Team Rocket & the Digidestined:  
Team Rocket has a small scene in this chapter. They have a larger role in the next chapter   
  
The Digidestined won't make an appearance for a while, though they will be mentioned fairly frequently (they did save the Digital World after all).   
  
  
  
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my fic.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom  
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: The Divine Decree   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next day, banners were hung high across the streets of Silph Town. Several tourists and Pokemon trainers had already entered the Digital World early in the morning. Crowds of people filled the streets with a chaotic jumble of conversations. They were couldn't help but be enthralled by the wonder and beauty of the Digital World. The Pokemon trainers deliberately skipped breakfast so as to eat more during the festival. It was an event that only happened once in a lifetime and they wanted to experience to the fullest.   
  
They flit from stall to stall checking the merchandise and the food. Ash, Misty, and Brock took the time to buy some souvenirs as a reminder of the opening day of the gate. Everywhere they went, people inquired about Gatomon and believed incorrectly that she was a new Pokemon. Ash constantly had some heavy explaining to do. The group was able to break away from the nosy crowd to stumble upon a makeshift outdoor arena. It was designed to house public exhibition Pokemon battles.   
  
The bleachers were filled with several spectators including other Pokemon trainers, who watching the matches with bated breath. The matches were being officiated by a young man named Mondo. He was a fairly muscular, rugged man who looked like he was on safari in the wilderness. He had Caucasian features, with blond hair and blue eyes. He had a team of judges to help him officiate the match. Asking around, Ash learned that he was the Gym Leader of the new Gym and keeper of the World Badge.   
  
With the exception of the referees, the matches were fairly informal. Only two trainers could battle at a time and they may use only one Pokemon. This rule was made to allow people a good chance at battling. The battlers were volunteers randomly chosen by Mondo from among the audience. The Pokemon trainers decided to purchase a ticket. It was good for experience and practice to fight as many other trainers as possible.   
  
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Gennai materialized outside of the explorers' new settlement. A massive festival took place on the streets. From the buildings and their technology, Gennai knew these people were technologically advanced. This was further corroborated by the fact that these people were able to build portals to the Digital World. Though their culture wasn't very different from that of the Real World, Gennai still found these people to be truly alien.   
  
These people brought new life forms with them that he had never seen before. These creatures seemed to resemble the indigenous Digimon of his world. However, the humans didn't seem to be able to understand the creatures judging by their reactions. Even more unusual was the fact that the life forms were more like common pets to the humans. Gennai only noted one such situation that was even remotely similar; the Digidestined and their Digimon partners.   
  
These creatures seemed to live in symbiosis with the humans. Upon passing a construction site, Gennai noted that a few of these creatures were assisting the workers. A few mole-like creatures were digging up a foundation, while some muscular humanoids helped move supplies and girders. Gennai sincerely hoped that these people could get along with the Digimon in the same way. As Gennai walked around, he eventually found an outdoor arena. He could hear the cheering of the audience, who was obviously watching something exciting.   
  
Security and ticket booths barred the entrances up. "How much is it for a ticket?" asked Gennai.   
  
"Adult tickets are 15 Pokeyen each," replied the vendor.   
  
Gennai turned around and watched as a young child came up to buy a ticket. In particular, he tried to analyze the child without arousing suspicion. On the child's shoulder was a small, yellow, mouse-like creature. Its tail looked like a lightning bolt striking its butt. This mouse was surely not a Digimon, and was probably one of the new creatures brought over to the Digital World.   
  
The boy's back was turned to Gennai, so he had no way of seeing what the boy truly looked like. However, Gennai could clearly see that the boy was wearing a red cap. He wore a blue jacket and blue jeans, which were fairly typical of a boy his age. He must have been a handler of these creatures, which Gennai assumed was a common profession among these people. Gennai would soon encounter a familiar friend...   
  
"Gennai!" blurted a voice in exuberance.   
  
Gennai recognized the voice. He turned to see Gatomon perched on the shoulder of another unfamiliar boy. "Gatomon, it's been quite awhile. So how are you doing?"   
  
"Gatomon, you know this man?" asked the first boy in curiosity.   
  
"Of course, he's Gennai. He's the person who guided the Digidestined in their quest to save the Digital World. Back then, he was an old man..."   
  
Gennai smirked. "It's amazing what a few vitamins can do."   
  
Gatomon introduced her new friends, Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Togepi, and Whitney to Gennai.   
  
"So Gennai, what are you doing here? Is something bad happening in the Digital World?"   
  
"You could say that... It has to do with the people of this town. There's some distrust towards them among the Sovereigns. I'm here acting as a messenger. I've been sent to deliver a decree to the authorities."   
  
"Sovereigns?" asked Brock. "I heard Gatomon talk about this yesterday. They're like rulers or kings, right?"   
  
"Sort of... I think the term 'gods' or 'deities' would be much more appropriate," corrected Gennai.   
  
The Pokemon trainers and even their Pokemon gasped in shock. This new revelation was a great surprise for the Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon. They imagined their own world being punished by divine retribution worthy of the Apocalypse. The situation was much more serious, now that gods were involved. It would be best not to offend the powers that protected the Digital World.   
  
"The Sovereigns rule and protect this world and are concerned about your people's intentions here. As I said, some of them distrust your people. They are preparing for war should they feel you are a threat to the Digital World. I have with me a parchment dictating some laws that must be followed to ensure peace."   
  
"This sounds very important. I think we should help him deliver the message," suggested Brock wisely. "The Pokemon matches can wait."   
  
"We have all day passes, so we can just come later," added Whitney.   
  
Gennai was lead to the town hall where he and the kids were escorted to the mayor. The mayor was a fairly portly man in his forties and wore a greyish black suit. The mayor was very interested in Gennai's message. Gennai handed him the scroll and watched as the mayor tried to read the text. He couldn't understand the strange characters of the Digital World syllabary. Gennai read the decree out loud as the mayor scribed a translation.   
  
====================Sovereigns' Decree====================  
This land is under the control of the six Sovereigns of the Digital World. You have entered here without express permission. To ensure peace, we have presented laws that you must follow:   
  
1. Do not harm or interfere with the inhabitants of the Digital World without due provocation.  
2. Do not set foot on File Island, the South Sector, the Dark Area, or the Heavens.  
3. It is not recommended that you set foot in the West Sector.  
4. Consult the Sovereigns before constructing any future cities.  
5. Anubismon's servants will claim the dead. Do not interfere with their task.  
6. The East and North are free Sectors. You may live and travel here without fear of persecution.  
====================================================   
  
Gennai magically produced a map of the Digital World on the mayor's computer. Using his map, Gennai marked the banned locations of the Digital World with slashed lines. The last place to be marked was File Island at the centre of the Digital World. The map shifted to reveal two more landmasses above and below the main world. The bottom world was the Dark Area and the top world was the Heavens. Both worlds were connected to the middle world by File Island and both were covered by the marks.   
  
Silph Town was on an island just off the mainland of Server Continent. Server Continent itself was in the eastern regions, which were ruled by Azulongmon. Fortunately, it seemed Azulongmon had a positive view of the explorers, which would last provided the laws were obeyed. There were also some very bizarre laws on the parchment. The strangest one of all was the law dealing with how the dead were to be handled. The Dark Area Sovereign Anubismon had decreed that the dead were to be handled by his servants. No one was to interfere with their duties and any violations would result in severe penalties.   
  
"I have completed my mission for the Sovereigns. I'm staying around for a while to answer some questions. I can't stay too long though, I must report to the Sovereigns," said Gennai. "Mayor, make sure that everyone read these laws."   
  
The mayor nodded. "Understood."   
  
"Gennai, I'm sure you must know a lot about Digimon. We're going to take you to Professor Oak," recommended Ash. "He would love to hear you talk to about Digimon."   
  
The trainers led Gennai to a grand laboratory in the outskirts of Silph Town. It was a well-equipped facility for the raising and care of Pokemon. Behind the lab building itself was a vast, fenced off field for keeping the Pokemon. In the back of Oak's lab was a great kitchen with all the appliances and ingredients used for preparation of Pokemon meals. Several instruments and machines of high technology hummed as they analyzed the data fed in by Oak. Prof. Oak was seated at the desk in his lab speaking with three other trainers.   
  
The first person was Tracey. He was a boy about Brock's age in a turquoise shirt and a red pair of shorts. He was an aspiring artist who drew pictures of Pokemon in various activities in their lives. He came to the Digital World to expand his horizons and draw the creatures of the new world. He was also a Pokemon trainer and travelled with Ash mostly during his journey in the Orange Islands. Ash was glad to see his old travelling companion in good health and spirits.   
  
The second person was Casey. She was a girl about Ash's age with violet hair. She was a big baseball fan, which was apparent from the yellow, striped, Electabuzz jersey she wore. She arrived when the gates were opened to the public. The last time Ash met her was back at the Bug Catching Contest in the Johto National Park. Casey loved yellow, striped Pokemon and Ash fondly remembered the joy she felt after giving her a Beedrill. It was a dream came true for Casey.   
  
The third person wore a violet shirt. His brown hair was spiked, and his face bore the expression of arrogance. It was this third person that irritated Ash. He was Prof. Oak's arrogant grandson, Gary Oak. Ash was one who could not stand being beaten, especially not by his own rival, Gary. Gary and Ash were rivals the moment they began their own Pokemon journeys long ago in Pallet. Gary was unaware of Ash's presence as he was having an involved conversation with Oak.   
  
Apparently, Gary had encountered some of those new "Pokemon." Casey and Tracey were surprised to learn that they could talk. The new "Pokemon" could also communicate with regular Pokemon too! Gary had encountered these creatures by chance when he found their village. There were three different types of inhabitants. The first type was a small, biped, mushroom-like creature. The second type was a biped, plant-like reptile. They inhabited the city that surrounded a large castle from the feudal period in Japan.   
  
Gary met the last type of inhabitant near the castle. They were small, frog-like creatures with horns wrapped around their necks. These creatures, the "Gekomon," welcomed the outsider and so Gary was able to befriend them. They kept referring to some people called the "Digidestined," who graced their town with a visit. They were especially taken by one Digidestined in particular, "Princess Mimi," who awakened their slumbering master, Shogun Gekomon. Before he left, Gary was granted an audience with Shogun Gekomon himself.   
  
"I see you have met the Gekomon," said Gennai. "They are quite friendly as you already know. They pampered Mimi when she met them."   
  
Everyone turned to faced Gennai and saw Ash and his friends as well.   
  
"Hey Ash, it's great to see you! I got to draw a lot of new Pokemon since we parted. Now, it seems I have Digimon to draw as well!" greeted Tracey.   
  
"Tracey, it's nice to see you again," greeted Ash in return.   
  
"So you're still here, Ash? I'm actually going out and finding out about this world. You're still stuck here fooling around. Some trainer you are..." sneered Gary.   
  
"What? I did find stuff about here! This man is Gennai and he knows a lot more than what you learned from a city full of frogs!" proclaimed Ash. "I brought him here just so Prof. Oak could hear what he had to say! By the way, those are 'Pokemon' aren't really Pokemon. They're Digimon, and I happen to have a Digimon named Gatomon right here!"   
  
"Alright, stop this bickering," scolded Oak. "You have both done well to bring me information! Let me hear what Gennai has to say,"   
  
Gennai first decided to ask Oak about some of the basic things on Pokemon. From what he was told, Pokemon had much in common with Digimon and quite a few things that were not. Pokemon and humans have lived in symbiosis for an uncountable number of years. Pokemon were kept and transported in containers called Pokeballs. Trainers can catch new ones by initiating a battle, winning, and then throwing a Pokeball at the Pokemon.   
  
"Hmm... That wouldn't be a good thing to do here. The Sovereigns will not like the sound of that. It is also in violation of the first rule," warned Gennai.   
  
"First rule?" asked Gary.   
  
Gennai waved his hand over Oak's computer screen. A translated copy of the Sovereigns' decree appeared and Gary read the laws. Gary disliked what he read.   
  
"How do we catch Digimon if we're not allowed to attack them?" he complained.   
  
"You don't," stated Gennai as a matter of fact. "You are guests in the Digital World. Since you are guests, you must respect the rules of your host."   
  
"It would be in your best interests to listen to Gennai. This is a political matter now, and we are guests in the Sovereigns' world. We shouldn't squander this privilege," warned Oak. "Besides, every living being has the right to be free and we should respect that right."   
  
"We understand Professor. Earlier in the day, we brought Gennai to the town hall to deliver the laws," informed Ash. "I really would have liked to add some Digimon to my team though."   
  
"I will have to tell the Sovereigns and the mayor about this," stated Gennai. "It's a good thing you guys got to me when you did. Your information helped me ensure peace between everyone."   
  
"Yeah, but even though there are laws, some people will still break them," warned Oak. "I know, and I can think of three people right off the top of my head; Team Rocket!" informed Brock.   
  
"Tell me about this 'Team Rocket,'" requested Gennai in curiosity. "I will warn the Sovereigns about them."   
  
Brock recounted his confrontations with Team Rocket. Team Rocket was a group of thugs who perpetrated crimes involving Pokemon. They would surely see Digimon as yet another opportunity to exploit. Team Rocket would steal Digimon in much the same way they do to Pokemon. In the Pokemon trainers' world, which Gennai dubbed the "Pokemon World," Team Rocket was largely disliked, even hated. The police and other law enforcement agencies actively seek out and attempt to shut down Team Rocket operations.   
  
Gennai nodded in understanding. "I see. So they are criminals from your world. It seems we have a common enemy."   
  
Everyone recommended that it would be a great help if the Sovereigns lent their assistance to stopping Team Rocket, at least in the Digital World. The Digital World was largely unexplored by humanity, and hence, there would be many places for Rockets to hide. Rockets wore unique uniforms bearing an "R" which identified them.   
  
"No one wants to cause trouble on purpose, but Team Rocket would surely be an exception. Every one of us has run afoul of them at one time or another," informed Oak.   
  
"I'm sure the Sovereigns will cooperate with your police to stop Team Rocket," affirmed Gennai. "I also some gifts for you, a Digital World history book, a Digimon Analyzer, and some operating instructions. Where can I upload all this?"   
  
Oak directed Gennai to the server that contained the master Pokedex. Oak explained that this server contained a database on all known species of Pokemon. Using his powers, Gennai uploaded some information about the Digital World and the Digimon. Oak updated Ash's Pokedex with the new information. Oak in turn, gave Gennai a Pokedex and taught him how to operate it. After the exchange, everyone was eager to read up on the new data. Gennai and Gatomon's face lit up in enlightenment as they read the data on Pokemon and their world. For Oak and the Pokemon trainers, they were more enthralled by wonder as they read their information.   
  
"Digimon are the product of dreams and imagination?" asked Oak incredulously.   
  
"Yes. They're made of the dreams of a people much like your own, and also computer data. However, the Digimon don't normally interact with the humans of the Real World. However there's an exception to that rule. Three years ago, a group of Chosen Children, the Digidestined, saved our world from the rule of the Dark Masters."   
  
"Dark Masters?" asked Misty.   
  
"Read the history of the Digital World," suggested Gennai. "It was a fairly recent event."   
  
The Pokemon trainers did as Gennai asked. The history of the Digital World was material worthy of being converted to a fantasy novel. It spoke of the Chosen Children, the Digidestined, who were brought from the Real World to save the Digital World. They each received a companion Digimon to protect them on their journeys. Each child bore a Crest that represented his or her strongest personality trait.   
  
At first there were seven, but then an eighth one joined before the battle with the Dark Masters. The Dark Masters were four evil Mega Digimon who were created by another Mega Digimon, Apocalymon. They conquered the Digital World and sealed away the Sovereigns. The Digidestined defeated all five of the evil Digimon and in doing so, freed the Sovereigns. With their task done, the Digidestined were forced to return home and leave behind the Digimon they loved.   
  
"I was the eighth Digimon, that's why I asked if you knew Kari. She was my Digidestined partner," revealed Gatomon.   
  
"It must be so sad to never see your partner ever again," lamented Misty.   
  
Gatomon sighed. "Yeah." "I felt the same way. I believed Pikachu wanted to go with those other Pikachu. Pikachu was my first Pokemon, so it was hard for me to part with him..." commented Ash.   
  
In another huddle, Brock searched through the data on Oak's computer. "Let's see what a 'Mega' Digimon is."   
  
Brock read the information on the Digimon's Mega level. It seemed that Digimon evolved just like Pokemon did. This process was dubbed "Digivolution." The Mega level was the highest level and considered a forbidden level. This was because Mega Digimon were exponentially more powerful in comparison to their lower level counterparts. The Sovereigns feared the death and destruction a Mega could cause and sealed this power away to prevent abuse.   
  
"Is there any information on the Digimon themselves?" asked Casey.   
  
"Sure, here I'll show you how to access the Digimon Analyzer."   
  
Gennai pressed a few keys on Oak's desktop computer. A read out of Gekomon and Gatomon appeared on the screen and Gennai showed it to everyone.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Gekomon  
Type: Virus  
Level: Champion  
Attacks: Symphony Crusher   
  
Gekomon are small frogs that treat all guests with respect and hospitality. They are the retainers and servants of their master, Shogun Gekomon.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Gatomon  
Type: Vaccine  
Level: Champion  
Attacks: Lightning Paw, Cat's Eye   
  
Gatomon is the partner of the Digidestined of Light. Gatomon is an agile and strong Digimon and her tail ring contains great Holy power.   
===================================================   
  
Gennai also showed everyone how to do the same with Pokedexes. Gennai pressed a few buttons and showed everyone a read out of Apocalymon.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Apocalymon  
Type: ?  
Level: Mega  
Attacks: Virus Grenade, Reverse Digivolve, Total Annihilation   
  
Apocalymon is the creator of the Dark Masters. He was created from the data of thousands of dead Digimon and had the power to destroy both the Real and Digital worlds.   
===================================================   
  
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
  
Unknown to the Pokemon trainers, a familiar trio watched the discussion in Oak's lab. They kept their faces hidden from the trainers within. They were able to see everyone in a huddle and Gatomon standing on Oak's desk. They remarked her Meowth-like features and the scripture on the golden ring on her tail. It was very tempting to make a grab for Gatomon now, but the Team Rocket trio opted to eavesdrop instead. Tracey and Gary were blocking their way .   
  
"Did you hear that, James?" asked James.   
  
James smirked. "I sure did!"   
  
"This world is filled with Digimon perfect for the swipe'n! The boss will love to hear this!" said Meowth with excitement.   
  
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" chuckled Jessie. "The boss will surely give us a big fat raise when we capture some Digimon!"   
  
"Why don't we follow the twerps? They'll find the Digimon for us and then we can steal them!" suggested James.   
  
"Wobba!" cried Wobbuffet in agreement.   
  
"Hey, get back in your ball!" scolded Jessie as she returned Wobbuffet. "Let's keep looking. They're bound to go see some Digimon soon and then we'll pounce!"   
  
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
  
Brock and Misty looked over Ash's shoulder to read the information on Apocalymon.   
  
"Hmm... not a very pleasant looking Digimon," remarked Brock.   
  
"Yeah, I can see the evil," added Misty.   
  
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion ripped through the air!   
  
"Whoa, what was that?" asked Brock in bewilderment.   
  
"We better check it out!" suggested Gary.   
  
Everyone ran out as fast as they could. The source of the explosion was the gates that brought them to the Digital World. Several other people had crowded around the scene. The police and other emergency personnel were already there and had cordoned off the area. Judging by their conversations, it appeared as though an accident had taken place. Ash had managed to work his way to the front of the crowd.   
  
Ash recognized one of the accident victims. "Ritchie! Are you alright?"   
  
Seated on the ground was a young boy about Ash's age. His taste in clothes bore a style similar to that of Ash's. However, he favoured the colour turquoise for his clothes rather than Ash's blue. Some paramedics were tending to him and his Pikachu. His injuries were minimal and so there was minimal concern. Blood trickled down from a minor cut on his soot-covered forehead. The paramedic applied a bandage to stop the bleeding. Sparky, Ritchie's Pikachu, was lightly bruised, but his injuries weren't life threatening at all.   
  
Ritchie's spirits livened up as he recognized the voice. "Ash! Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just a little surprised, and scared. I wish we didn't have to meet like this..."   
  
Ash was relieved. "How did this accident happen?"   
  
"From what I heard, one of the pods short-circuited. It skid out of its tube, and crashed into the pod I was in."   
  
Ash looked up to see one of the pods flaming, smoking and upside down. "Terrible!"   
  
While Ritchie and Sparky were fine, several other people and Pokemon were not so lucky. A paramedic was checking the condition of a trainer no older than Ash himself. The paramedic shook his head and made a slashing gesture across his throat. The boy was already dead and couldn't be saved. The same was true of his Pokemon; a Pikachu much like Ash's. Just as the dead victims were about to be body bagged, several portals appeared.   
  
On the other side of the portal, was a world of eternal night. Several ghosts filed out of the portal, floating in synchronization like marching soldiers. The head ghost wore a red hood that completely concealed his face in darkness, save for a pair of piercing blue eyes. He carried with him a deadly looking scythe that was rested on his shoulder. He looked amongst the victims as if analyzing the situation.   
  
The other ghosts looked like ripped and soiled white sheets floating in the air. Their mouths were filled with a set of scary, sharp teeth. They seemed focused on obeying the head ghost. The paramedic freaked out when they surrounded the body of the boy. They raised their arms as though they were channelling power. Ash decided to test his new Digimon Analyzer on the ghosts.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Phantomon  
Type: Virus  
Level: Ultimate  
Attacks: Shadow Scythe   
  
Phantomon are the ghostly servants of the Sovereign of the Dark Area. He is the foreman of the Bakemon who bring the dead to the Dark Area for judgement.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Bakemon  
Type: Virus  
Level: Champion  
Attacks: Evil Charm, Dark Claw   
  
Bakemon are the ghostly grunts and manual labourers of the Sovereign. They bring the dead to the Dark Area for judgement.   
===================================================   
  
"Hey what are you doing?" asked Jenny defensively.   
  
"We are servants of the Sovereign of the Dark Area. It is our duty to bring the dead to his realm. You are not to interfere with our task," declared Phantomon.   
  
"This place is under police control! Leave that boy alone!" ordered Jenny.   
  
Jenny and Phantomon continued to argue about the boy's fate. Neither side was willing to back down. Phantomon ordered his Bakemon to take the dead, despite Jenny's protests. This was when the situation degenerated. Jenny ordered her Growlithes to stop the Bakemon. In response, one of the Growlithes tackled a Bakemon to the ground as another Growlithe was pinned down by a Bakemon's claw.   
  
"Evil Charm!"   
  
The bolt of dark elemental energy was fired at an enemy Growlithe just as it unleashed a Flamethrower. Both the Bakemon and the Growlithe were struck at the same time. The Growlithe was knocked onto the ground and the Bakemon was busy dousing the flame. In another part of the melee, another Growlithe lunged at Phantomon. He blocked the attack and shoved the Growlithe away. The Growlithe landed on its feet and growled at Phantomon.   
  
Everywhere in the scene of the accident, Bakemon and Growlithes were fighting. The fight wasn't even a fight at all; it was more like a riot. Ash and Pikachu were getting anxious and couldn't stand watching any longer. Just as Ash and Pikachu moved to intervene, the others had reached the front of the crowd. Gennai held Ash back and stopped his interference.   
  
Ash was upset. "Why are you stopping me? They're going to take the boy away! How can you let them do that..."   
  
"You heard the laws of the Sovereign," said Gennai as a matter of fact. "The dead are to be brought by the Bakemon to the Dark Area. They stay there for a few years under Anubismon's rule. They are then sent to the Heavens to be reborn," informed Gennai.   
  
"Reborn?" asked Casey in disbelief.   
  
"Yes. Digimon never truly die, they are reconfigured and are returned to Primary Village."   
  
The spectators mentally debated as to what to do. Before anyone could take action, another larger portal materialized. On the other side, a gigantic skeletal Digimon marched onto the battlefield. The ground rumbled with each step he took. This Digimon wore giant leather pants and metal boots. He had what appeared to be a spherical stone lodged inside of his rib cage. He carried a staff that resonated with dark energies.   
  
This Digimon looked even more evil than the ghosts. The sight of the giant skeleton rightfully frightened the spectators. They kept their distance as he surveyed the situation before him. The Digimon didn't seem too concerned with the crowd around the crash site. The people stood well away as he advanced, giving him a clear pathway. Ash ran the Digimon through the Digimon Analyzer.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Skull Satamon  
Type: Virus  
Level: Ultimate  
Attacks: Nail Bone, Skull Hammer   
  
Skull Satamon is one of the enforcers for the Sovereign of the Dark Area. Skull Satamon's staff is known to contain incredible dark power.   
===================================================   
  
"Skull Hammer!"   
  
Skull Satamon smashed the ground with his attack. The orb on his staff glowed as it made contact with the ground. The image of a screaming skull flashed briefly and an earthquake erupted, jarring many of the spectators and Growlithe. The Bakemon turned to face their Sovereign's enforcer. Skull Satamon turned to the police and the crowd and made an address.   
  
"I am Skull Satamon. I am here to ensure that the Sovereign's will is carried out. The dead must be brought to his domain immediately. All who dare oppose the Sovereign will be struck down!"   
  
"Ash, let me handle this. I'll try to calm Skull Satamon down."   
  
Sensing that the situation was about to deteriorate, Gennai stepped in to intervene. Jenny noticed and called out to Gennai: "This is a restricted area! Stay behind the line or you will be arrested!"   
  
"Please let me speak with him. I am also a representative of the Sovereigns," declared Gennai.   
  
Gennai approached Skull Satamon. He pleaded with Skull Satamon not to take any action against the police. Skull Satamon was somewhat reluctant to hear Gennai's plea. He only wanted to see the Sovereign's will carried out. Gennai decided to speak with Jenny instead. He told her about how the dead are handled in the Digital World.   
  
"You're must be kidding me," replied Jenny incredulously.   
  
"Believe it or not, that is how the dead are handled here. In a few years, the boy will be returned right where he died," answered Gennai in affirmation.   
  
"We must take the boy to prevent an evil from reforming. The Digital World can't break his body to data like the Digimon. He's now a magnet for evil Digimon who want to harvest data to revive the evil," informed Phantomon.   
  
"If you bring him back to your world, the evil Digimon will just go there to get the data."   
  
Jenny considered carefully what she was told. Though it seemed like a joke, Phantomon and Gennai were very serious about what they said. Jenny believed the warnings Gennai and Phantomon gave her. She reluctantly agreed to allow the dead to be taken by Phantomon. Phantomon gestured to the Bakemon and they sprang into action.   
  
The Bakemon gathered around the body of each victim and carried it into the smaller portal. Skull Satamon was satisfied with the situation and said his farewell to the police. He promised to put a good word in with the Sovereign for their cooperation. The Pokemon trainers watched as a Bakemon carried each corpse to the realm of the Sovereign. 


	4. Mine Your Own Business

grochek1:   
The mayor wouldn't just give the laws to Jenny directly. The accident happened too soon for the police force to get the laws.   
  
The Digidestined will appear and very soon. Let's just say that an event will happen that will draw them back to the Digital World.   
  
  
  
luis; in response to your email  
I am thinking about ideas for a sequel, but don't have one planned at the moment.   
  
Digimon will go to the Pokemon World.   
  
My current plans for this story doesn't have the Legendaries meet the Sovereigns.   
  
  
  
Kell Shock:   
Yep, it'll definitely cause problems.   
  
  
  
AnT:   
The Digidestined are showing up soon. It will become obvious why they are showing up.   
  
The two Digital Worlds are different and have no connection to each other with respect to canon. There are people who have worked on Digimon who have confirmed this, including a script translator for Digimon (Megchan), and a high up in Digimon in Japan (I don't know his name, but I think he was the creator of Digimon). However, since its fanfiction, an author can do whatever he/she wants.   
  
I probably won't be using the "Digivolved Pokemon" angle in this story.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:  
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom  
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3: Mine Your Own Business   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Back at the police station, Gennai told the Pokemon trainers and the authorities more about Anubismon and Lucemon's role in the world. Officer Jenny was there to file a report on what Gennai had to say.   
  
"Do you remember the read out of Apocalymon?" asked Gennai.   
  
"Yeah," replied Misty.   
  
"Same here," confirmed Ash.   
  
"I'm sorry but I haven't seen that read out yet," apologized Jenny.   
  
Gennai brought up a read out of Apocalymon again. "He was the evil Phantomon was referring to."   
  
Gennai proceeded to tell everyone about the Sovereigns. Originally, there were only four Sovereigns; Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon, Baihumon, and Ebonwumon. These original four feared the creation of another Apocalymon, and so Anubismon and Lucemon were granted their divine powers. Anubismon and Lucemon were given control over the life and death cycle of the Digital World and its inhabitants. Due to this, all data of dead Digimon was accounted for, and taken into the custody of the life and death Sovereigns. As a further measure, they also put a curse on Apocalymon's Total Annihilation attack so that it would backfire and destroy only its user.   
  
With these measures, it ensured that a new Apocalymon could never be formed. Should one form, it would not have access to its most dreadful power. However, these measures didn't take into account beings that were not Digimon or Digidestined. The coming of life forms foreign to the Digital World complicated matters. These measures didn't apply to the newcomers who died in the Digital World. This was the reason for sending the Bakemon and Phantomon to secure corpses. The Sovereigns feared the creation of a new "Apocalymon."   
  
"Hmm... They must really fear this if they had to go to all this trouble," commented Oak. "I am beginning to wonder if our coming here is causing more harm than good..."   
  
"Same here, Professor," affirmed Ash.   
  
"The Sovereigns are busy trying to implement a better solution, but it will take some time. Don't worry about it. You seem like nice and responsible people. Just stay that way and everything will be alright," encouraged Gennai.   
  
"We understand."   
  
"I'm going back to report to the Sovereigns. I have also installed a program in your Pokedexes and computers that will contact me. If you ever need my assistance again, call me."   
  
"Thank you very much, Gennai," said Oak.   
  
"Bye, Gennai! Thanks for your help!" responded everyone in unison.   
  
"Well, what should we do now?" asked Brock. "It's getting late, so maybe we should turn in for the day."   
  
Gatomon stayed with Prof. Oak at his request. Oak wanted to study Gatomon and Digimon in general. The Pokemon trainers stayed at Whitney's ranch and the ranch hands welcomed their guests. They all had a delicious meal of steak and vegetables. The Miltank milk was as smooth and sweet as ever. Everyone had their fill and slept until the crack of dawn. The next day, all the trainers went their separate ways. Ash, Brock and Misty were called in by Oak.   
  
"Ash, could you do me a favour?"   
  
"Sure, Prof. Oak, what is it?"   
  
"I would like to get some more Digimon into my lab for study. Could you ask a Digimon from the Gekomon village to come here?" requested Oak. "Gary left before I could ask him."   
  
"Sure, we'll get you a Digimon," replied Ash. "Is Gatomon coming?"   
  
"I have to run some tests on her so she can't come. The Gekomon seemed very friendly so they would be a good Digimon to ask."   
  
  
  
**********************************************   
  
  
  
Team Rocket was thrilled with the news they had for the boss. Jessie punched in the number for their boss. After a short wait, Jessie got through to Giovanni's office. Giovanni's face appeared on the screen, but it was obscured by dark shadows. Due to this, it was impossible to make out his features. However, it was evident he was stroking a Persian, as it was visible on the screen. Giovanni was rather displeased to hear from Jessie, considering her track record.   
  
"What is it?" asked Giovanni angrily. "You'd better have a good explanation for interrupting my work."   
  
"Boss, we got into the new world! We got some information from the twerps that we were following," reported Jessie.   
  
"Excellent!" replied Giovanni in satisfaction. "For once you haven't bungled things up... Report on what you have found."   
  
"We know where we can find some Digimon!. We're going to follow those twerps right to the Digimon. We can steal them and bring them back for you!" persuaded James.   
  
Giovanni was pleased. "I must admit, you did an excellent job. Great work! I am giving you a bonus. Use it to buy whatever you need to secure those Digimon. There's more if you succeed, don't bungle this one up!"   
  
"We'll hop right to it boss!" proclaimed Meowth.   
  
The call ended and both Meowth and Giovanni hung up their phones. Giovanni called to his Persian and it leapt into its master's arms. Giovanni left his office, closing the door behind him. In the darkness of the room, a pair of inhuman red eyes opened. They were filled with the very essence evil itself, and gazed upon the world with contempt. The eyes closed again, returning the room to pure darkness.   
  
  
  
**************************************   
  
  
  
After a short trip by boat Ash, Brock and Misty arrived at the shore of Server Continent. The trekked northwards and reached a gigantic lake. Following the shoreline east, they found the village of the Gekomon. The architecture resembled that of the feudal era of Japan. In addition, every house was small and squat. It was obvious that they were designed for the natives. The doors of the houses were just a few inches smaller that Brock's head. Ash encountered the natives and ran them through the old Digimon Analyzer.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Floramon  
Type: Data  
Level: Rookie  
Attacks: Rain of Pollen, Stamen Rope   
  
These Digimon are always female. Floramon love to folic in nature and their pollen can be used as a painful weapon.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Mushroomon  
Type: Virus  
Level: Rookie  
Attacks: Fungus Crusher, Giggle Grenade   
  
Mushroomon are the workers of the Gekomon's village. They can throw mushrooms that spray out laughing gas.   
===================================================   
  
"Is that Gary?" asked a Floramon.   
  
"No, its another human, and he brought friends with him!" shouted a Mushroomon.   
  
"They brought with them those 'Pokemon' that we heard about," continued a Floramon.   
  
Ash, Brock and Misty were lead to the castle of the leader, Shogun Gekomon. Unlike the rest of the houses, the castle was huge. It was built to house inhabitants much larger than the Gekomon. The Gekomon greeted the three Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon. Ash and company introduced themselves to their hosts. Shogun Gekomon was about to have his lunch. He invited Ash, Brock, Misty and their Pokemon to attend.   
  
Not wanting to squander this opportunity, they accepted. The trainers released their Pokemon for feeding and everyone was eager to eat. When they were lead to Shogun Gekomon's room, they were in awe of his humongous size. Shogun Gekomon was easily the height of a Pokemon Centre. He resembled his smaller brethren, the Gekomon, but was orange in colour. Two brass horns protruded from his back and unlike the Gekomon, they weren't wound around his neck. Instead, around his neck was a ring of green leaves.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Shogun Gekomon  
Type: Virus  
Level: Ultimate  
Attacks: Musical Fist   
  
Shogun Gekomon is the giant leader of the Gekomon. The Digidestined of Sincerity woke him up after he fell into a deep slumber.   
===================================================   
  
On Shogun Gekomon's table were several utensils that were as tall as Ash himself. The Gekomon moved several gigantic plates and bowls onto the table. They were easily the largest plates and bowls the Pokemon trainers and Pokemon had ever seen. Some other Gekomon came in with smaller utensils, plates and bowls for the guests.   
  
"It's great to have guests after such a long time. Other than Gary, the last humans that visited were the Digidestined," began Shogun Gekomon, his voice bellowing as he spoke. "So what brings you to my lands?"   
  
"We've been sent on an errand by Professor Oak. He asked us to bring him Digimon so he could study their ways," replied Misty.   
  
"I see. The Sovereign had sent word that several humans were exploring the Digital World. We'd love to begin trading with your people. I'll send some of my subjects to return with you."   
  
Shogun Gekomon called for one of his Gekomon. He ordered the Gekomon to return with and help the humans with both research and trade. The Gekomon was to find a Mushroomon and a Floramon to go with him. After the meal, Gekomon and the Pokemon trainers hit the town to gather Digimon. In the air, they could see and hear several explosions followed by Digimon screaming and fleeing in terror.   
  
The citizens were running away from a trio that was trying to trap them in nets. Two of them were humans; one being a redheaded female, and the other a violet-haired male. The third was a small cat bearing a golden, pill-shaped charm on its forehead. They were the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth that always hounded Ash and his friends. They seemed to enjoy what they were doing; laughing with glee as the caught every Digimon they saw. A few of the braver ones tried to fight back, despite the fact that they were not warriors.   
  
"Fungus Crusher!"   
  
A resisting Mushroomon magically created a small doll of itself in its hand. It lobbed the doll towards Team Rocket and the doll exploded like a grenade. Team Rocket took cover momentarily only to return and continue their assault.   
  
"Watch it!" cursed Jessie. "Go, Arbok! Get that little mushroom!"   
  
"You too, Weezing!" followed James.   
  
"Arbok, Poison Sting!"   
  
Arbok opened his mouth and from it came a swarm of golden needles. The Poison Sting clipped the Mushroomon all over its body like a machinegun, before it finally gave up and collapsed. Jessie launched a net from her bazooka, trapping the Mushroomon and its nearby friends. Meowth worked from the balloon to gather the nets filled with trapped Digimon.   
  
"Weezing, Sludge Attack!"   
  
A stream of oily black goo spewed from the Poison Gas Pokemon. The goo splashed over a Floramon's eyes, blinding it and flooring the plant Digimon. Weezing continued to spray the Sludge into the eyes of the other resisting Floramon, blinding them as well. Like Jessie, James fired his bazooka, rounding up the Floramon in a net. Meowth pressed a button on his console and pulled the net towards the Team Rocket balloon.   
  
Team Rocket spotted the trainers coming and made their typical grand entrance; motto and all.   
  
====================Team Rocket's Motto====================  
Prepare for trouble!  
And make it double!  
To protect the world from devastation!  
To unite all peoples within our nation!   
  
To denounce the evils of truth and love!  
To extend our reach to the stars above!  
Jessie!  
James!   
  
Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!  
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!  
Meowth, that's right!  
Wobba!  
=====================================================   
  
"Team Rocket!" said Ash in realization.   
  
"We should've known you'd show up sooner or later," declared Misty.   
  
"Leave those Digimon alone, they did nothing to you!"   
  
"We're villains. This is what we do!" replied Jessie. "Our boss will pay us well for gathering some nice Digimon for him!"   
  
"These Digimon are going straight to our boss, and there's nothing you can do about it!" taunted Meowth. "While we're here, we might as well help ourselves to Pikachu!"   
  
"Weezing, Smog attack!" ordered James.   
  
The molecular chain-like Weezing obeyed. "Weezing!" it gasped.   
  
Vile black smoke spewed forth from Weezing's mouths upon the Pokemon trainers. As they coughed and gagged on the smoke, they couldn't see a mechanical arm extending towards Pikachu. When the smoke cleared, Pikachu was gone! Ash looked around to see Team Rocket fleeing in their Meowth balloon. Pikachu was trapped in a jar held in Jessie's hand. Pikachu tried to overpower the jar with a Thunderbolt but to no avail, the jar was shockproof.   
  
Jessie laughed. "You aren't going to shock that jar, Pikachu!"   
  
"It's shockproof!" added Meowth.   
  
Ash released Noctowl and sent him to pop the balloon. "Noctowl, Peck that balloon!"   
  
As Noctowl approached, James sent Weezing to intercept. Weezing used another Smog attack on Noctowl. The smoke was blown straight into Noctowl's face and he gagged as the smoke swallowed him. Noctowl was nauseated and crash-landed onto the ground. This gave Team Rocket the opening they needed. They taunted the twerps as they fled, finishing with a hearty laugh.   
  
"Ha-ha-ha!" chuckled Jessie. "I can't believe we did it!" "Poison Ivy!"   
  
Several vines wound around the ropes attaching the basket to the balloon. The balloon suddenly stopped moving, and the jerking nearly knocked Team Rocket off balance. Team Rocket followed the vines to a small creature they had never seen before. They came to the conclusion that it was a Digimon, and they were not pleased at all. The Digimon looked somewhat like the Floramon they caught. She was biped and resembled a plant native to a desert. This Digimon had a pink flower growing out of her head. She had alien, seed-shaped green eyes that were filled with determination.   
  
Misty noticed the Digimon. "Beautiful, a flower Digimon!"   
  
"What are you doing? Let go of our balloon!" demanded James.   
  
"Never! Return those Digimon you've kidnapped!" replied the Digimon.   
  
"You asked for it! Weezing, Sludge attack!"   
  
Weezing moved into range to deliver the Sludge attack, but Misty intervened. "Starmie, Tackle Weezing away!"   
  
Starmie connected with a Tackle attack and caused Weezing to misfire the Sludge. Ash, Misty and Brock dove for cover as Weezing's Sludge stream turned towards them and then upwards towards the Meowth balloon.   
  
Jessie ducked the stream. "Hey, watch it! You almost hit us up here!"   
  
Ash bolted to the side of the grounded Noctowl. Noctowl coughed to clear his throat and hopped to his feet.   
  
"I'm glad you're alright. Noctowl, Peck those nets!" commanded Ash.   
  
Noctowl drilled through Team Rocket's nets with his beak. The nets tore and released their cargo, the Digimon, to the ground. Noctowl flew upwards and drilled his beak straight into the face of the Meowth balloon. The balloon ruptured and air gushed out of the tear. It capsized as it fell to the ground. The jar containing Pikachu slipped out of Jessie's hands and into Ash's. After regaining their composure, the Rockets prepped to attack, but Ash and Pikachu were ready.   
  
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"   
  
"Pikaaaaa... CHUUUUU!" cried Pikachu as he shocked Team Rocket.   
  
After a moment of continuous exposure to electricity, an explosion burst forth, shooting Team Rocket into the air. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"   
  
"Wobbaaaaaaaaaaa!"   
  
Team Rocket flew off into the horizon and a twinkle of light like a star shined in the distance. Ash, Brock, Misty and Pikachu relished their victory over Team Rocket. They soon became interested in the Digimon that had aided them.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Palmon  
Type: Data  
Level: Rookie  
Attacks: Poison Ivy   
  
Palmon is the Digimon partner of the Digidestined of Sincerity. This plant Digimon is known to be very feminine in her mannerisms and tastes.   
===================================================   
  
"She's one of the Digimon of the Digidestined!" cried Ash.   
  
"You know the Digidestined?" asked Palmon in disbelief. "Say, would you happen know how Mimi is doing?"   
  
"Sorry, we don't actually *know* them. We only heard of the Digidestined from what Gennai told us," stated Brock.   
  
"You know Gennai? How is he? Is he doing fine? How did you meet him?" bombarded Palmon.   
  
"Geez, one at a time, one at a time!" blurted Ash. "Gennai is as fine as he could be. He was just in town to deliver an important message."   
  
After hearing that, Palmon was sure she could trust Ash, Misty, and Brock. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu introduced themselves to Palmon. They requested that she return to Oak with the other for his studies and Palmon agreed. Upon their return, Oak was impressed with the completion of his task. Ash not only brought back some Digimon, he also brought another one that belonged to a Digidestined. Oak attempted to scan the Digimon with his instruments, but was not having any luck. The instruments always gave errors. It seemed as though some force was jamming the instruments. Due to this, Oak abandoned trying to scan the Digimon.   
  
"Hmm, it must be their data that is disrupting the machine..." mumbled Oak. "Anyways, thank you Ash. You've been a great help!"   
  
"Gatomon! I never knew you were here!"   
  
"Hi, Palmon! Guess you made friends with them too."   
  
Gatomon and Palmon reminisced about old times, when they were battling Myotismon and the Dark Masters. They were like two combat-hardened veterans after a hard fought war. Ash and the others listened in and received a first-hand account of the battles during those dark times.   
  
Ash noticed Prof. Oak reading some information on his computer. "Oak, what are you looking at?"   
  
Oak turned to look at Ash. "Oh, this is just some information some archaeologists dug up from some ruins on Server."   
  
On the screen were several copies of books written in the Digital syllabary. From the layout of the information and pictures, the book looked like an occult book. Using a program E-mailed to him by Gennai, the program translated the book. It was a manual to operate some sort of dimensional portal under the ruins. This portal required the use of a set of cards with pictures of various Digimon on them.   
  
"Hey, this was the gate we used to return to the Real World to fight Myotismon!" remarked Palmon.   
  
"I went to the Real World for the first time with that gate," added Gatomon.   
  
The trainers thought it was cool to see something straight out of Digital World history.   
  
"Maybe one day, we'll visit the Real World. I wonder what it's like?" wondered Misty.   
  
Oak finished reading and turned to another book. From the layout of the information, the book Oak was reading was some sort of Digimon encyclopaedia. Oak skimmed the pages until he found the picture of an evil, demonic-looking Digimon. It had the head of a goat and a blue body covered by violet fur. From its nostrils came a vile black fog. The book had been damaged by whatever had destroyed the ruins. The only information on this Digimon was simply a picture.   
  
  
  
**************************************   
  
  
  
In the mountains north of Silph Town, miners were tunnelling through the mountains in search of precious metals and gems. The mine itself was dark and cold, lit only by the flashlights attached to the miners' helmets. They were having a field day gathering the gems, minerals and other valuable substances. The interior of the mountain seemed to be filled with valuables. However, the miners remarked an oddity surrounding their mine.   
  
The mine would refill every morning, but with different valuables each time. Yesterday, the miners dug up a few carts filled with gold. Today, the mine was filled with sapphire. The miners thought it was odd, but they dismissed it to continue to work. In the depths of this mine, a miner was busy setting some dynamite on a particularly difficult wall to punch through. Everyone fled the area and the detonator was hit. The dynamite exploded with a loud "BOOM!" sound, blowing dust into the air.   
  
"Hey, sunlight!" commented one of the miners.   
  
The miners rushed out to check the other side. The hole led to the valley nestled within the mountain ranges. The miners turned to see a gigantic diamond-shaped gemstone hovering above the ground. It was made of the purest blue sapphire and was surrounded by a golden ring engraved with an unreadable scripture. It seemed to radiate a beauty and power unfathomable by the minds of the miners. They wondered what it was.   
  
"Call Foreman Mason here!" ordered a miner to his peers.   
  
One of the miners complied and ran back into the mine. The miners stared at the stone for a few moments until a middle-aged miner with a set of plans in his hands ran out. He was a man with a medium build and greying brown hair covered by an orange hard hat. He was Mason, the foreman who led the other miners. He was curious about why he was called.   
  
"What's all the commotion about?" asked Mason.   
  
"Look what we found!" pointed a miner.   
  
Mason's jaw dropped as he looked over the humungous gemstone. "Incredible!"   
  
"What should we do with it, sir?" asked one of the miners.   
  
Mason gazed at the gemstone in contemplation. "I guess we should take it... We're sure to get a nice bonus from the suits for this. Okay boys, get some rope and a cart, we're moving this baby out!"   
  
A few miners went back into the mineshaft and returned with the materials Mason requested. After lassoing the top of the gem, the miners pulled it onto the mine cart waiting underneath. It was difficult, but with some effort, the miners managed to lower the gem onto the cart . However, with the gem on its side, it was still too tall to fit into the shaft. With some ingenuity, the miners made a small, flat trolley to account for the gem's massive size.   
  
They miners held the gem up as the trolley was slid underneath. After lowering the gem onto the trolley, they tried entering the tunnel again with success. After navigating several long corridors, they reached daylight and their campsite. The miners loaded the gem onto the truck and the driver drove off to deliver his valuable cargo. 


	5. Jewel of Denial

To all who asked about the gem:   
It is an artifact that is vital to the Digital World, as will be shown in this chapter.   
  
  
  
AnT:   
Things are growing quite ugly in this chapter. I'm not sure if I will include Ruby/Sapphire Pokemon. There isn't very much information about them.   
  
  
  
Epsilon:   
I understand what you are saying. If I do make any trainers become Digidestined, it would be very late in the story (if at all). I personally feel that the connection and synergy of the 01/02 Digital World and Real World is part of the reason for the creation of Digidestined. The problem is, the Pokemon World doesn't have this influence over the Digital World as the Real World does.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom  
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: Jewel of Denial   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two days later, Ash was hard at work training his Pokemon for an upcoming Gym battle. His opponent would be Mondo from the fair two days ago. That day, Ash took the opportunity to challenge Mondo to an exhibition match for entertainment. The Gym was closed for a day, pending a massive clean up and preparation after the matches of the fair. The Gym reopened its doors, and Ash was among the first trainers to challenge for a Badge.   
  
Ash stood opposite his opponent Mondo on the field of battle. The time had arrived for Ash to give all that he could, as a Badge was on the line. Misty and Brock sat in the front row of the bleachers and cheered Ash on. The match was a three-on-three team battle. Each trainer fielded a team of three Pokemon of their choosing, and substitutions mid-fight were not permitted. Ash's team consisted of Pikachu, Cyndaquil, and his newest addition, Muk. Mondo fielded a team of Porygon 2, Wartortle, and Ivysaur.   
  
"Porygon 2, Psybeam Muk! Wartortle, Water Gun Cyndaquil!"   
  
"Pory!" replied Porygon 2 in affirmation.   
  
"War!"   
  
Porygon 2 fired a series of beams made up of psychedelic colours. One grazed Muk's head painfully, hitting him despite his compliance with Ash's order to evade. The same happened with Cyndaquil, who took a clean hit from a jet of pressurized water. Unlike Muk, Cyndaquil was hit in the right side of his body. He was dazed from being thrown around by the water jet. Fortunately, the Fire Mouse was tough and managed to recuperate from the blow.   
  
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt Wartortle! Muk, help Pikachu and Sludge Bomb Wartortle!"   
  
Bolts of lightning arced from the electricity sacks on Pikachu's face, but Wartortle dodged as his trainer commanded. However, Wartortle had overexerted himself and left himself open to the Sludge Bomb. Muk's ball of thick slime slammed into Wartortle's head and knocked him unconscious. The ball of sludge burst into several smaller blobs that splattered all over the ground. The judges declared Wartortle eliminated from the battle.   
  
"Go Ash! You can win it!" cheered Misty.   
  
"Don't give up Ash! You got him down one Pokemon!" added Brock.   
  
"We can come back! Ivysaur, use Vine Whip to pin Cyndaquil down! Porygon 2, Psybeam the other Pokemon!" ordered Mondo.   
  
Cyndaquil dodged the Vine Whips as best he could, but was soon overwhelmed and caught. Ivysaur tripped his victim and kept him pinned down. Cyndaquil was struggling to free himself, but the vines were too strong. Pikachu and Muk went to free Cyndaquil only to have Porygon 2's Psybeams cut them off. Mondo soon sicced Porygon 2 onto the trapped Cyndaquil.   
  
"Porygon 2, Psybeam Cyndaquil!" ordered Mondo.   
  
Through two Psybeams, Cyndaquil was knocked out and thus eliminated. Mondo's fans cheered as the tide turned with his comeback. Now, both contestants were down by one Pokemon. Mondo ordered Ivysaur to Razor Leaf Pikachu and Porygon 2 to assist with a Tri Attack. Ash responded by telling Pikachu to use Agility to dodge, and then Quick Attack Ivysaur. Muk was to attack Ivysaur in tandem with his own Tackle attack.   
  
"Ivy?" asked Ivysaur in confusion.   
  
As Ash predicted, Mondo's Pokemon couldn't track Pikachu's movements. Pikachu looked like a blur as he darted from place to place. Pikachu scored a Quick Attack on Ivysaur, which was followed by a swift Tackle from Muk. This one-two combination flipped Ivysaur onto his back and eliminated him from the battle. Brock, Misty as well as Ash's fans cheered from the sidelines.   
  
"Just a little more and you've got the match in the bag!" shouted Brock with a fervour of excitement.   
  
"Yeah, Ash! It's just your two Pokemon against Porygon 2!" continued Misty.   
  
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Muk, Sludge Bomb attack!"   
  
Pikachu and Muk both aimed their attacks at the lone Porygon 2. Mondo ordered his Pokemon to activate Conversion 2 and then dodge. Porygon 2 changed type to the Ground type briefly, and shrugged off Pikachu's electricity. However, his new type didn't completely stop Muk's Sludge Bomb, and he was toppled by the attack. Porygon 2 managed to stand up after a brief struggle and used Recover to heal some of the injuries.   
  
"Pikachu, Muk, keep the pressure on! He can't Recover forever!"   
  
Porygon 2 returned fire with a barrage of Psybeams under his trainer's command. Mondo's fans cheered him on as his attack came on strong. Pikachu employed his Agility again to dodge the beams. Muk however, wasn't as fast as Pikachu and was hit. Muk wobbled around as though disoriented by the attack. Ash ordered Pikachu to put the pressure on Porygon 2. Muk needed the heat off of him in order to have time to recuperate.   
  
Muk was flat on his face and struggled to move. Pikachu came in with a swift and effective Quick Attack. Porygon 2 was shoved back and momentarily disoriented. Pikachu was dodging the Psybeams until Porygon 2 managed a key hit on Pikachu. Pikachu struggled to get up, but his wounds made it difficult. Porygon 2 closed in preparation for the finishing blow.   
  
"Well, Ash, looks like the score will be even now," commented Mondo.   
  
"Don't get too cocky! Pikachu can still get up and fight. He won't back down now when he could still win," replied Ash.   
  
"Porygon 2, finish Pikachu off with a Tri Attack!"   
  
Just as Porygon 2 was preparing for the attack, he was blindsided by a wad of sludge. Porygon 2 and his trainer turned their attention to Muk and instead aimed the Tri Attack against Muk. This attack was what put Muk down for good. He was splashed against the floor, and eliminated. Mondo and Porygon 2's momentary lapse of attention gave Ash and Pikachu the opening they needed.   
  
Ash capitalized. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"   
  
"Pika!" said Pikachu as he rammed Porygon 2 hard.   
  
"Poryyy..." gasped Porygon 2 as he was dashed into the ground.   
  
Porygon 2 fell unconscious and the referee announced his decision: "Porygon 2 has been eliminated! Ash Ketchum is the winner!"   
  
"Alright, Ash!" cried Brock and Misty in exuberance.   
  
Mondo approached Ash and handed him a badge that resembled a planet. Mondo congratulated Ash on winning the World Badge. Ash was ecstatic and held the badge before him triumphantly as if showing the world his accomplishment.   
  
Ash struck a victorious pose and held the badge for all to see. "Yeah! I won the World Badge!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In his own home, Gennai communed with the Sovereigns of the Digital World again. As usual, they manifested themselves as six nimbuses of light of different colours. This meeting was dominated by an argument between Zhuqiaomon and Azulongmon about a rash of thefts in the Digital World. The stolen items were a set of artifacts called the "Destiny Stones." Each Destiny Stone was an artifact of great power and necessary for the continued existence of the Digital World. The Destiny Stones preserved the balance of the Digital World, and should they be destroyed, the Digital World would be as well.   
  
Each sector of the Digital World had seven Destiny Stones. The Destiny Stones came in many shapes and sizes. Some were made of pure, valuable gemstone, while others looked like ordinary boulders. However, all of them had one distinguishing feature; a ring of pure gold engraved with a scripture written in Digital World syllabary. In order to protect the stones, the Sovereigns used a variety of methods. Some of the stones were hidden in remote, difficult to access areas. Local Digimon placed other Destiny Stones under guard.   
  
The golden nimbus began. "Gennai, our world is now in great peril! Several of our Destiny Stones have gone missing! Already, two stones in both the North and South Sectors are gone. Their link to Ebonwumon and Zhuqiaomon were severed!"   
  
"Just recently, two more have disappeared in the East Sector. I am still linked to one of them, but the other's link was completely severed," informed the blue nimbus. "I can sense that the Stone is very close to Silph Town."   
  
"Only my Destiny Stones have been untouched," reported the white nimbus.   
  
"This is not good," commented Gennai. "Who could have done this?"   
  
"I know who! It was the humans!" accused the red nimbus. "They trespassed into my domain and had the audacity to steal my Destiny Stones. I say, NO MORE! Death to the humans!"   
  
The blue nimbus, Azulongmon, felt that his Sector was threatened. "You have no right to enter and wage war in my domain! This is nothing but a senseless war. I can not stand by and watch you butcher countless innocents!"   
  
"This was nothing but pay back for the blatant desecration of our world!" stated the red nimbus. "The humans started this, but I shall end it!"   
  
"This bloodlust will solve nothing. All it will do is lead to suffering and death!"   
  
"Spare me your rhetoric, Azulongmon! I shall see those humans pay for what they have done!"   
  
The blue nimbus made an ultimatum: "...Then you leave me little choice. I must take up arms. This is madness and I'm going to stop it, one way or another."   
  
"Go ahead! Try to stop me, if you can!" retorted the red nimbus before finally vanishing.   
  
The blue nimbus sighed. "I sorry you had to see that, Gennai..."   
  
"I don't want the Digital World sucked into a war, but it's evitable that that is what will happen," commented the green nimbus.   
  
"Gennai, tell the people of Silph Town what has transpired in our meeting. We need the Digidestined!" commanded the black nimbus.   
  
"Tell the Digidestined to help me guard my Destiny Stones," finished the white nimbus. "These are pictures and the former locations of the missing Destiny Stones. Use them to see if you can find any leads. Enlist the humans' help in tracking them down."   
  
Gennai got up and bowed before his masters. A disk filled with the information appeared in front of him. Several other spare copies appeared before him, and Gennai gathered the information and vanished in a burst of rainbow-coloured light.   
  
  
  
**************************************   
  
  
  
Back in Silph Town, it was nighttime. Ash was admiring his new World Badge in his room in Whitney's ranch. Ash was feeling good and on top of the world. He gazed at his Badge, studying every little intricate detail there was on it. When he had his fill, he tucked it safely away and fell asleep. The next morning, Ash, Brock, and Misty made a quick jaunt to Professor Oak's lab.   
  
Meanwhile, at Professor Oak's lab, he was observing the Pokemon in the fields. Oak frequently employed the two Digimon, Palmon and Gatomon, as translators due to their comprehension of Pokemon language. Their translations were a boon to Oak's research, enabling him to reach a deeper understanding of the workings of Pokemon. At the same time, he was also observing how the Digimon got along with the Pokemon. So far, the Digimon were fairly well received, though the Pokemon were a little cautious at first. Gatomon, Palmon, and Ash's sidelined Pokemon were being fed.   
  
Palmon was chowing down on some fruit she got from Oak. "Hey, this apple is great Professor! It's so sweet!"   
  
"Hera, Hera! (Oh, yeah!)" said Heracross between bites.   
  
Gennai knocked on the door and Tracey led him to the Professor. "Professor, Gennai is here to see you!" Oak greeted the approaching Gennai. "Oh hi, Gennai! What brings you here, today?" "Bad news, Professor. There is trouble brewing in the Digital World," warned Gennai. "It began with the break down of a discussion between the Sovereigns..." Gennai continued his story about the reasons for his current visit. He began with a summary of the Sovereigns' discussion and how it subsequently broke down. Some human hoodlums had stolen valuable artifacts called the Destiny Stones. This act had caused the Digital World to become unbalanced. The Sovereign Zhuqiaomon of the South denounced this act as a blatant desecration of the Digital World. He blamed the humans of Silph Town for this act. A war was going to break out soon if the situation was not resolved in a timely fashion.   
  
"So you see, Zhuqiaomon is furious. He wants to wipe out Silph Town as retribution! Many people, Pokemon, and Digimon are going to die unless we resolve the situation soon!"   
  
Oak listened with concern very evident on his face. "Hmm... I see. Talk of war is never a pleasant thing."   
  
Azulongmon in turn, denounced the war as a slaughtering of innocents. He has mobilized his followers to defend the East Sector and Silph Town by extension from attack. Such was the severity of the situation that Gennai was dispatched to gather the Digimon of the Digidestined. Gennai was preparing to summon the Digidestined back to the Digital World to resolve the situation and stop the robbers.   
  
"I have already spoken with the authorities, but they don't have any clues yet. Professor, would you lend me your help as well?"   
  
"Of course!"   
  
Tracey offered his help as well: "You have my help too, Gennai. If we hear or find anything, we'll let you know."   
  
"Thank you very much, it means a lot to me, and the Digital World. Here, take a copy of this disk. It contains a picture and information on the Destiny Stones." Gennai handed a disk to Gennai and turned to the Digimon. "Gatomon, Palmon, I'm sure you know what to do."   
  
The two Digimon nodded. "Okay Gennai, lead the way."   
  
Just then, the doorbell rang and Tracey moved to answer. "I'll get it!"   
  
Tracey returned with Ash and his friends in tow. "Hi Professor, hi Gennai!" greeted Ash.   
  
"Why's everyone so glum?" asked Misty.   
  
Gennai recounted his story, and the trainers were shocked.   
  
Brock gasped. "A war? Oh no!"   
  
"This is bad... Very, very bad!" commented Ash.   
  
"Who could've done this?" asked Misty.   
  
"No one knows. All we know is that we must find out who is doing this before things get worse," said Gennai.   
  
"I'd like to help, Gennai," offered Ash.   
  
"Here, take this information." Gennai waved his hand and magically loaded the contents of the disk into Ash's Pokedex. "If you are going to search for the Destiny Stones, Azulongmon said that one was hidden near Silph Town. Search for that one first. Anyways, thanks guys, I really appreciate it."   
  
"No problem, Gennai," replied Ash.   
  
"Yeah, we're glad to help," affirmed Misty.   
  
"I taking Gatomon and Palmon now. I need them to be there once I summon the Digidestined back to the Digital World. We need their help. Please cooperate with them, the fate of the Digital World is at stake."   
  
"We will Gennai!" said the trainers as they waved to Gennai.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the Real World, summer vacation had begun for middle schoolers. Izzy was on his computer as usual, playing a computer game. He was playing a first person shooter game based on a fictional World War III. The goal of the scenario in his game was to capture the enemy's base. On his monitor was his avatar, an assault rifle-toting commando in camouflaged army fatigues. Izzy's character had respawned after being shot up and killed by the opposing team. Izzy hid himself in ambush behind the window of a small house.   
  
The house was part of a Mexican town in the desert. A sandbagged machine gunner's nest was visible outside of the window. Izzy was prepared to pop off whoever was foolish enough to take cover in the nest. Sure enough, five members of the enemy passed by, carelessly forgetting to inspect the house. The five got sucked into a firefight with Izzy's other teammates and they took cover in the nest. There were bullets flying everywhere, with bullets ricocheting off walls every few seconds. Izzy sprang his trap and lobbed a fragmentation grenade.   
  
The grenade exploded with a BANG! The first three enemies went down without even realizing what had happened. The two survivors were still unaware of Izzy, being too preoccupied with Izzy's teammates. Izzy peeked out of the window and unloaded his gun's magazine into the remaining two enemies. Izzy managed to kill a fourth enemy and wound the fifth further before he ran out of ammo and had to reload. As luck would have it, the fifth guy stood up to return fire only to be picked off by an enemy sniper.   
  
"w00t w00t! Prodigious One j00 r0x0rz!" wrote one of Izzy's teammates.   
  
After a few more minutes of playing, the game ended. One of his teammates had broken past the other team's frontline and captured the enemy base. Thus, Izzy's team won the game. Izzy closed the game and went to check up on his E-mail. A message had come in from Gennai, and stirred a memory in Izzy's mind. The last time Izzy had ever spoken to Gennai was during Diabolomon's attack on the world's computer systems. It was a close, desperate race against the clock.   
  
An American Digidestined named Willis, created a new Digimon to be a new friend out of loneliness. This Digimon was somehow "infected," becoming a personification of the Y2K bug. The Digimon proceeded to disrupt the world's computers and databases, consuming data like a hungry locust. Agumon, Gabumon, Tentomon, and Patamon went to battle the creature unsuccessfully, even going as far as Digivolving to match the Digimon's own Digivolution. The creature beat his assailants back every time, fleeing all the while. The creature soon reached its Mega form of Diabolomon, named after "diabolo," a game which was derived from the Italian word for "devil."   
  
Eventually, Tentomon and Patamon were taken out of the fight. Agumon and Gabumon, as their Mega forms of War Greymon and Metal Garurumon, were wounded and crippled by a flood of E-mails. Diabolomon fled and began to multiply unchecked like a spreading virus. He then initiated a countdown for the detonation of a pair of nuclear warheads, with one aimed at Izzy's neighbourhood. Despite their wounds, War Greymon and Metal Garurumon gave pursuit, only to be gunned down by the Diabolomon clones. Through what seemed to be a miracle, Tai and Matt were drawn into the Internet itself to tend to their wounded Digimon.   
  
"...Feel their hope! Feel their strength!" pleaded Tai.   
  
Drawing strength from the flood of E-mail, another miracle occurred. War Greymon and Metal Garurumon transformed into a pair of arms. Apparitions of the E-mail senders merged together with the arms to form the body of a new Digimon! Thus the mighty holy knight, Omnimon, was born. In a twist of poetic justice, Omnimon proceeded to unleash "nuclear destruction" of his own, wiping out the clones with barrage after barrage of Supreme Cannon fire. With a final Transcendent Sword, he impaled the real Diabolomon in the head, ending his threat and averting nuclear annihilation.   
  
====================Gennai's E-mail====================  
Izzy, get all the Digidestined together. There's a problem in the Digital World and I need you to come back. Don't worry about Mimi. Let me take care of her. I'll tell you more when you arrive here.   
  
-Gennai   
==================================================   
  
Izzy promptly called Tai and told him the bad news. The two spread the news to the rest of the Digidestined. At TK's home, his mom was concerned about TK being called back into action in the Digital World.   
  
"I don't know how long I'll be there, but you I have to go back, Mom. They need me there!" stated TK.   
  
"I don't want you to go," admitted Nancy. "But I know I can't stop you. It seems like only yesterday you were just a little baby. You've grown up so fast... Please stay safe."   
  
TK and his mother hugged. "I will Mom, I promise."   
  
TK packed his bag with provisions and travelled to the gathering in front of the TV station. It was a tall building, and a product of modern engineering. The most notable traits of the building were a large globe-like structure on the top, and the bridge-like upper floors. The silvery windows gleamed in the afternoon sun. This was where TK's dad worked, and also the past site of a fierce battle to save Kari's life. Looking at this place was like a glimpse of the past.   
  
All of the Digidestined, save Mimi, were gathered there. Mimi and her parents had moved to America after the school year ended and summer began. They did so out of fear of being caught in the middle of another Digimon attack upon Odaiba. With all their members save one present, the Digidestined raised their Digivices to the skies. A rainbow descended from the heavens, guiding them to their new journey in the Digital World.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Back in Silph Town, Ash was visiting the local Pokemon Centre for a routine check up to energize his Pokemon. While they were there, Misty and Brock took advantage of the Centre's facilities as well.   
  
Nurse Joy returned Ash's Pokemon. "Here you go, Ash. All of your Pokemon are in peak condition. They're ready for any challenge!"   
  
"Thanks, Nurse Joy!"   
  
"Here Brock, Misty. Your Pokemon are done too, no problems at all. They are ready for your next battle."   
  
"Thanks!"   
  
The trainers stepped out of the Pokemon Centre to discuss plans.   
  
"Okay, now that we're ready, we should begin our search," urged Brock.   
  
Ash brought out his Pokedex, and sifted through Gennai's information. He brought up a picture of the linked Destiny Stone on the Pokedex's screen. It was a large and diamond-shaped gemstone made of pure blue sapphire. Wrapped around this gemstone was a ring of the purest gold with an etching on it. Invoking a close-up, the etching was a scripture in an alphabet unknown to Ash and friends. From the information, the alphabet was in actuality the Digital World syllabary. Ash, Misty, and Brock took a good, long look to memorize the Destiny Stone's appearance.   
  
Ash admired the beauty of the Destiny Stone. "So this is the Destiny Stone?"   
  
"It's so beautiful," sighed Misty. "I can see why someone would want to take it."   
  
Brock stroked his contemplation as he looked at Ash's Pokedex. "Bring up that map, Ash."   
  
Ash pressed a few buttons and brought up a map showing the Destiny Stone's former location. It was further north of where the trainers had met Gatomon initially. That area was mountainous and perfect for concealing a sacred artifact like the Destiny Stone from prying eyes. Brock looked on the map and came up with a lead for their search.   
  
"Why don't we look in the northern area first? The Destiny Stone was located in the north. The thieves might have used some services like a gas station or rest stop. Someone might have seen something."   
  
"Good idea, Brock!" cheered Ash. "Let's call those gas stations and rest stops."   
  
"Once we find a lead, why don't we ask Professor Oak to drive us there?" suggested Misty. Ash and friends agreed and returned to tell Oak their plan. "So can you take us there?"   
  
"Hmmm... Alright," agreed Oak. "Tracey, if Ash and his friends find anything, I would like you to watch my lab while I drive them to the Destiny Stone."   
  
"Sure Professor. Good luck!" 


	6. Hostile Takeover

CTHKSI:   
Generally, I decide on a certain "direction" that I want to take my stories. I use this as a guideline and not as a hard and fast rule, so I can take advantage of new ideas that suddenly come to me.   
  
Though it seems cruel to take the dead away, not doing so leads to severe and VERY unpleasant consequences...   
  
  
  
AnT:   
Yeah, I've actually played Sapphire with Torchic as my starter. Torchic's evo line is awesome! I like Pokemon with unusual type combinations like Combusken and Blaziken's Fighting/Fire type. As for Ruby/Sapphire Pokemon, there are places in my story where I can work some of them in.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5: Hostile Takeover   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Oak searched through the pile of boxes in his storage room. He found what he wanted in a pair of spare videophones. He connected each phone to spare jacks, and made a test call to Whitney's ranch. When Oak was certain the phones were working, he pulled out a book large enough to be a doorstop. Flipping through the massive phone books' pages, Ash and his friends called any rest stop or gas station around the northern areas of Silph Town.   
  
"No sorry, I haven't seen anything," replied the cashier.   
  
Ash changed his line of questioning: "Has anyone mentioned anything about finding a large jewel or gemstone or anything like that?"   
  
"Sorry, nothing like that either."   
  
The trainers tried a few more gas stations and rest stops only to receive similar responses. They were not making any progress and it was frustrating .   
  
Tracey came in to see the progress of the search. "No luck, huh?"   
  
"No..." lamented Ash.   
  
"Maybe you guys should take a break. Your guys have been on the phones for quite a while now. Watch some TV and relax a little."   
  
"Yeah, maybe we should take a break now," suggested Brock as he reached for the remote.   
  
On the television screen, two police officers that were conversing appeared. The show seemed to be a police drama of some kind. Brock flipped through the channels until he found the news. A picture of a redheaded anchor in her thirties appeared on the screen.   
  
"...This just in! Early this morning, the Rare Earth Mining Co. R&D lab was robbed by a group of unknown assailants. The assailants stole a sacred artifact held in the lab known as the Destiny Stone. This was the sixth in a rash of Destiny Stone robberies all around the world..."   
  
The news drew everyone's complete attention, and some gasps induced by shock.   
  
"...These assailants were believed to be the same group suspected of robbing other Destiny Stones around the Digital World."   
  
The news showed a clip of a re-enactment of the crime.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the parking lot of Rare Earth labs, a thug in black snuck behind an oblivious truck driver. This thug wore a ski mask over his face, concealing his true identity. The driver was next to his truck and had his head down to read a map. As the thug drew closer, he pulled out a rag soaked with a strong, foul smelling liquid. The thug suddenly pounced and stuffed the rag over the driver's mouth!   
  
The truck driver called for help, but the rag muffled his voice: "Mfffff, mmmmmffff!"   
  
The driver struggled to remove the ether soaked rag, but was weakening every second. He was falling unconscious. After a vain struggle, the driver could no longer resist. The thug dragged the driver's body and hid it behind some bushes. He striped the driver of his keys and drove the truck to a receiving area behind the lab.   
  
In the lab complex itself, a "technician" left his peers for a break. His aura cast suspicion to everyone who watched. Instead of going to the recreation room, he made his way to the basement. He was repulsed by the grungy nature of the halls, but continued on his way. He soon came to a room filled with various meters. Entering the room, he saw his target; a large machine connected to several shafts. The technician could hear light rumbling coming from a fan within the machine.   
  
The technician opened a hatch to reveal a set of dirty filters. He removed and concealed the filters, creating enough space for his bomb. The thug's bomb consisted of a timer with several wires running into it. There was also a nozzle designed for spraying a gaseous substance. This nozzle led to a canister filled with a blue liquid, which was actually a powerful anaesthetic. After a few quick button presses, a three minute countdown timer started.   
  
He closed the hatch and made an expedient escape. Within minutes, gas seeped through the vents in the Rare Earth labs. At precisely the same time, grenades smashed through the windows of the lab. They resembled small metal spheres with exhaust pits. They hissed as gas sprayed out of them. Workers began to cover their mouths as they fled, only to run into more gas from the ventilation system. The attackers took no chances with their operation.   
  
Everywhere in the lab, workers collapsed. All over the floor and tables laid the countless bodies of the workers. A few minutes later, the gas cleared up and the enemy rushed in. Several armed thugs in black stormed the building, entering the main lab. The lab itself was filled with unknown monitoring equipment of various kinds. At the centre of the room was a massive, diamond-shaped sapphire with a golden ring. This was their target, the Destiny Stone.   
  
Like the first thug, these new thugs all wore ski masks. It was easy for the thugs to take the Destiny Stone away without any resistance. They simply ripped the Stone from the clamps that held it. Several of the thugs banded together and moved it to the back where their accomplice waited in Rare Earth's trucks . After loading the massive Stone, the thugs scrambled for their cars and sped away. At the lab, the staff began to awaken only to find the Destiny Stone gone.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
"DING! DONG!" went the doorbell. Tracey got up from his seat. "I'll get it!"   
  
He opened the front door of the lab to see nine children and eight Digimon at the door. Tracey recognized three members of the group; Gatomon, Palmon, and Casey. He didn't recognize the others.   
  
"Hi Casey! Who are you new friends?"   
  
"Tracey, meet the Digidestined!"   
  
Tracey was incredulous. "They are the Digidestined?"   
  
"Yep!" confirmed Gatomon. "The same ones who saved the Digital and Real Worlds."   
  
"Well, come in! My friends are waiting inside. I'm Tracey Sketchit!"   
  
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Oak noticed the crowd and got up to greet the newcomers.   
  
"Hi Gatomon, hi Palmon! It's nice to see you," greeted Misty. "They are the Digidestined, aren't they?   
  
Gatomon began: "Yep. Meet my partner, Kari."   
  
"...and my partner, Mimi!" continued Palmon.   
  
Kari and Mimi smiled and waved. "Hi!"   
  
Brock promptly rushed up to flirt with the Digidestined who were teenaged girls. "Well, hello you two, my name's Brock!" Brock turned to the more athletic girl and held her hands. "What's your name?"   
  
"I'm Sora..." replied the girl meekly.   
  
"Tomorrow, why don't we go on a nice hike in the wilderness?" Brock turned his attention to Mimi. "...And the day after, why don't we take tour of the town and ride off into the sunset?"   
  
Mimi and Sora were both stunned by Brock's forwardness. Misty latched onto Brock's ear, making him gasp "Ow!" repeatedly as she pulled him away.   
  
"Cool off, cowboy! You're riding into the sunset alone!"   
  
Everyone finished introductions afterwards. Ash was glad to have the assistance of the Digidestined on the case.   
  
"It's great to meet you guys. I know with your help, we can beat those thieves!"   
  
"I heard these guys aren't ordinary thieves," said TK.   
  
"That's right," confirmed Oak. "It was on the news. They broke into a high security lab to steal the Destiny Stone."   
  
"That's not good to hear..." commented Matt.   
  
"Tell us exactly how this happened," requested Tai.   
  
Ash told them the story he heard on the news. The Destiny Stone was somehow moved to the R&D lab of a mining company. The lab was promptly stormed and robbed by a group of masked hoodlums. There were no clues as to the identity of the robbers, or their leaders. It was certain that they were the same goons who were responsible for the thefts of other Destiny Stones. The West was untouched, but it was certain that they were targeting that Sector next.   
  
"I see," commented TK. "These guys seem to know what they're doing. We have to stay on our toes."   
  
"So what do we do now?" asked Misty, in search of direction.   
  
"Well, Gennai told us to wait here until he came back with more instructions. He just told us to come here and get to know you better."   
  
Oak decided to make his guests welcome: "Well then, I don't see any point in standing around here. Make yourselves at home, Digidestined and Digimon. I'm sure you're all hungry, so I'm going to make some food. Brock, will you help?"   
  
"Sure, Professor."   
  
"In the meantime, take the opportunity to learn more about each other."   
  
Brock and Oak hit the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for everyone. In one huddle were Ash, Tai, Matt, TK and their monster companions. They were seated around a table with Ash telling some war stories about his career as a trainer. He told them about his encounters with Team Rocket, who always made failed attempts to nab Pikachu. He also told them about the war of the Legendary Birds at Shamouti Island, and the deterioration of his world's weather patterns into chaos. Ash was at the centre of it all, trying to restore order with the help of one of the Legendary Birds, Lugia.   
  
Agumon was enthralled by Ash's story. "So what happened next?"   
  
"I found the treasure of Ice. Lugia gave Team Rocket and me a ride back to Slowking's island. Team Rocket let go for some reason and dropped to the frozen sea. I guess they did that because they felt they were endangering the world's chances for survival. I made it back and placed the treasure with the others. Melody played her song and the world went back to normal."   
  
"You must have had quite an adventure!" commented Matt.   
  
"Yeah, being a Pokemon trainer can be dangerous sometimes. Pokemon can be pretty mean, but trainers like me can take care of themselves. We trust our Pokemon, right Pikachu?   
  
"Pika! (Yeah!)"   
  
"Saving the world was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do as a trainer."   
  
"Yeah, saving the world is such a difficult job..." lamented Tai offhandedly.   
  
Ash smirked at Tai's comment. "You said it! It looks like we're in this together now. So, do you have any cool stories of your own?"   
  
The Digidestined and Digimon in turn, told the trainers of their heroics against various evil Digimon. In particular, they were talking about their battle with Piedmon. He was the final and most powerful Dark Master. Wargreymon and Metal Garurumon, the only Megas of the Digidestined, gained the upper hand over Piedmon. This lasted only briefly, as Piedmon used handkerchiefs to turn everyone into key chains.   
  
"Pika? (Key chains?)" asked Pikachu.   
  
"That's right," confirmed Patamon. "Only TK, myself, and Kari weren't caught. TK and Kari climbed this rope that lead to the sky to escape, but Piedmon caught up to them. I tried to distract Piedmon as Angemon, but he got past me and sliced the rope."   
  
"Yeah, I thought we were goners," continued TK. "But I didn't give up hope! It was my hope that caused Angemon to Digivolve to his Ultimate form of Magna Angemon. He saved us, beat Piedmon back, and turned my friends back to normal!"   
  
"Wow!" commented Ash. "We all had a lot of cool adventures!"   
  
"Yep, we sure did."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the fields behind the lab, Casey, Tracey, Joe, Izzy and their partners were seated at one of a trio of picnic tables to talk about the ways of the Pokemon trainer. Checkered tablecloths with red and white squares covered the tables. An array of condiments lined the table, ranging from lettuce and onions to ketchup and mustard. The group talked about the ways and duties of being Pokemon trainers and Digidestined.   
  
"It's very common to be a Pokemon trainer where we're from," began Casey.   
  
"Almost everyone has a license to handle Pokemon," continued Tracey. "Some people just keep Pokemon as pets, but others like us become trainers, and have friendly battles for sport."   
  
"Sounds very dangerous, and cruel," admitted Joe.   
  
"Not really, Pokemon enjoy battling. It keeps them in shape. Everyone takes care so that no one gets hurt. We take care of our Pokemon, and they take care of us. Most trainers respect their Pokemon, but there are always exceptions to the rule."   
  
"That's right," agreed Casey. "I have heard of trainers abandoning their unwanted Pokemon..."   
  
"...And then there are trainers like those who work for Team Rocket. The worst ones use Pokemon only as tools for personal gain. Are there any Digidestined that are as bad as that?"   
  
"None that I know of," admitted Izzy. "The only Digidestined I know about are ourselves, and the new ones Mimi joined with when she moved away. I guess that it has to do something with the fact that we were 'chosen.'"   
  
Joe made an interesting point: "Whoever does the choosing must take great care. I doubt they would allow the people you described to become Digidestined."   
  
"It must be cool to have your own Digimon," admitted Casey. "It must be like having your own Pokemon. I hope that one day, I can become a Digidestined."   
  
Joe smiled. "Well who knows? Maybe you might get your wish."   
  
Tracey sniffed the air and smelled the scent of frying burgers in the air. "Mmmm, looks like the food's ready!"   
  
Brock walked out and announced that he had finished cooking the meal; hamburgers and fries for the human guests, and special food for the Pokemon and Digimon. Everyone took seats on some picnic tables in the fields behind the lab. Several buns were piled in a basket, and the meat patties were stacked on a plate. Everyone chowed down on the burgers and fries and washed the meal down with ice-cold fruit juice. The Digimon and Pokemon's food was placed into separate bowls so everyone could have their share. The Digimon loved Brock's food and complemented him on his cuisine.   
  
"Mmmmm, this stuff's great!" remarked Gabumon.   
  
"Pika! Pika Pika! (Yeah! Brock is a great cook!)" confirmed Pikachu.   
  
"I can feel the food giving me the energy to Digivolve!" said Tentomon between bites.   
  
In a flash of rainbow-coloured light, Gennai materialized in front of everyone. "Hi there! Is everybody getting along?"   
  
"Sure, Gennai! Of course, Gennai!" replied everyone separately between bites.   
  
"That's good! It's nice that everyone's getting along. Baihumon, Sovereign of the West, has called a meeting. We are to attend this meeting and receive instructions."   
  
Everyone nodded in understanding.   
  
"Who will guard the town? What if Zhuqiaomon attacks while we're away?" asked Ash.   
  
"Azulongmon is helping out with that. He is sending troops to beef up defences. We are to defend Silph Town until his troops relieve us."   
  
"How will we get to the West Sector?" asked Sora.   
  
"Once Azulongmon's troops come, Baihumon will teleport us to his temple to hear his briefing. Which reminds me, do you have anything for me to eat? I'm pretty famished."   
  
Brock smiled. "Of course. I prepared extra food for just such a situation!"   
  
Everyone finished his or her meal, being careful not to overeat. Everyone took a moment to relax before the big quest in the West. Tai began to walk off his meal when he saw smoke billowing in the distance. He pulled out his mini telescope to get a better view. It looked like a fire of some sort in the city.   
  
"Looks like a fire," suggested Tai.   
  
Everyone went to take a look at the plumes of smoke. They were coming from somewhere in the northwestern part of town.   
  
Brock removed the binoculars from his eyes. "There's another one to the left..."   
  
"...And another over to the right."   
  
"Let me see, Brock," said Gennai, gesturing for Brock's binoculars.   
  
Gennai looked through the binoculars. Like the others, he could see the smoke billowing into the sky. He scanned around until he found a dinosaur-like figure emerging from behind a skyscraper. Its skin was black and had red stripes as markings. It was spraying flames from its mouth at anything it saw in its path.   
  
Gennai removed the binoculars. "That's not a fire!"   
  
"Then what is it?" asked Tai.   
  
"It's shock troops from the South Sector!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the salty waters of the East Sector's sea, all was calm. From the sea's azure depths emerged the heads of a trio of Pokemon thieves. The salt stung their eyes as they opened them. They were the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth. The three had been catapulted a long way from the Gekomon village into the sea of the East Sector. They had no idea where they were, and worse, they failed the boss again.   
  
"The boss won't like to hear this..." warned Meowth.   
  
"We've been sunk again," lamented James.   
  
Jessie spotted an island not too far from their location. "There's an island! We're saved!"   
  
The three swam as hard as they could and finally made it to the sandy shores. The three were famished and gorged themselves on the fruit growing on the island. It was the best, sweetest meal they've ever had in a long time. As they ate, the discarded peels and rinds started to pile up into a sizeable mound. They laid on the beach completely bloated from their meal.   
  
Meowth's stomach seemed ready to explode. "I can't eat another bite!"   
  
Jessie basked in the rays of the sun until she could feel a faint rumbling on the ground. "What's that rumbling?"   
  
The other Rockets fell silent and Meowth could sense it too. "Yeah, I can feel it too... It's coming from behind us. Let's take a look."   
  
The Rockets followed the rumbling on the ground. It led them into a lush jungle where the trees made it difficult to see far ahead. The rumbling got progressively more noticeable as they closed on the source. They continued to follow the rumbling, despite the feeling that doing so would be unwise. They reached a place where the rumbling seemed to be at its greatest. The very ground shook as though an extremely heavy object was crashing against it.   
  
Through the thick flora, they made out what looked like a massive leg. It looked like it belonged to a dinosaur-like creature that was huge. There were red markings all over the leg, resembling scars or tribal markings. Team Rocket followed the leg up to the body, and then to the head of a Master Tyrannomon. Its mouth was filled with a set of sharp teeth; perfect for flesh apart. Jessie and James feared that they were going to be Master Tyrannomon's meal and began to scream in terror. Meowth's Fury Swipes silenced the terrified duo and left painful red marks on the Jessie and James' faces.   
  
James was furious. "What was that for?"   
  
Jessie felt the same way. "Don't you dare touch my face!"   
  
Meowth was raving mad. "Are you crazy? There's a hungry dinosaur and you want to let him know we're here? You want him to make a lunch out of us? Let's get out of here!"   
  
Thus, Team Rocket fled the scene before the Master Tyrannomon noticed them. They ran deeper into the jungle until they emerged at what looked like a rallying point. There were Digimon of all kinds there, from birds and beasts to dinosaurs. In particular, there was a tiger Digimon in armoured joint guards. Unlike normal tigers, this one had a pair of wings. He looked like a leader amongst the Digimon. Every Digimon was gossiping about an invasion into the East Sector. The trio hid and eavesdropped on the meeting.   
  
"Zhuqiaomon must be nuts! Is he trying to begin a war between the Sovereigns too?" asked a random Tyrannomon.   
  
A Minotarumon was appalled. "What does he think he's trying to do, sending his Digimon into the East Sector?"   
  
A tiger Digimon in armoured joint guards approached the crowd. Unlike normal tigers, this one had a pair of wings. He looked like a leader of some kind amongst the Digimon. The other Digimon fell silent as he spoke.   
  
"I am Mihiramon, one of the twelve Devas. Zhuqiaomon is preparing for an attack on Silph Town in our Sector!"   
  
James turned his head away from the meeting. "That doesn't sound good..."   
  
"The Digidestined are stationed there with a group of allied Pokemon trainer. We are to relieve them and then take up station at the town and repel any attacks."   
  
"Someone must have done something really big to tick off the Digimon so badly!" suggested Meowth.   
  
"We can't stay out here forever! We have to find a way back!" Jessie looked left and right. She latched her gaze onto some supply boxes behind the Digimon. "Look over there! We can stow away in those boxes to get off this island!"   
  
"Are you crazy? What if they find us? I don't want to end up in a Digimon's belly!" complained Meowth.   
  
"Well, if you have any better ideas, I'd like to hear them."   
  
Meowth fell silent before finally giving in. "Okay, but if we end up in a Digimon's belly, it's Jessie's fault! Don't say I didn't warn you!"   
  
Jessie was annoyed, but kept her temper in check. While Mihiramon had the Digimon's attention, Team Rocket snuck out of the brush. They took cover behind the massive girth of the Digimon and climbed into a box. It wasn't long before the box began to shake, a sign that it was being moved. Team Rocket was bumped around in every direction imaginable before the movement stopped.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
It was a disaster area back at Silph Town. Cars were scattered about, reduced to overturned and flaming wrecks. Potholes and blast marks dotted the once pristine streets. Many buildings had collapsed from the exchange of fire, and the ones still standing resembled Swiss cheese from all the blast holes punched into them. People were on the streets fleeing in terror from the horde, their screams drowned out only by sporadic explosions. At the centre of this chaos were the Digidestined and their new Pokemon trainer allies.   
  
Before them laid the bodies of several fallen South Sector Digimon. They weren't dead, but crippled and unconscious. The enemy who did die crumbled into data and were drawn into Anubismon's domain. The military were taxed to the limit trying to keep on top of the enemy. Even ordinary Pokemon trainers took to the field of battle to do their part. However, even with ordinary civilians taking arms, several of these brave souls had fallen in battle.   
  
Among the bodies of the Digimon were those of dead Pokemon and their trainers as well. For the first time, Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon were thrust into a fight for survival. Killing an opponent in a normal battle would be grounds for a revoked trainer's license, or worse consequences. Now, the Ash and his friends were riding on the Ultimate forms of the Digimon to a skirmish elsewhere in the city. As they travelled, Ash voiced his concerns over the violence and bloodshed.   
  
"I still don't like it. Pikachu and I have never had to kill anyone before. I know that Flare Lizamon will be reborn, but I still can't accept it."   
  
Tai justified Ash's actions. "You did what you had to do, Ash. He would have fried that crowd had if you and Pikachu left him alone."   
  
"If you want to be a hero, you have to get your hands dirty," admonished TK. "Being a hero isn't as glorious as people believe. Look at those trainers who gave their lives. We can't let their sacrifice be in vain!"   
  
"Don't forget those thieves! It was their greed that began all of this!" decried Sora.   
  
"I understand. Things won't get better until the thieves are caught."   
  
"Over there!" called Joe as he pointed downward and to the left. "There's a battle going on down there!"   
  
The group followed Joe's finger down to a group of unidentified Pokemon trainers. The group landed to offer support to the trainers. Their ranks consisted of two girls and one boy, and they each had a Pokemon on the field ready for battle. The trainers seemed to be related as they all had black hair and bore a familial resemblance. Their Pokemon were unfamiliar new species that Ash and his trainer friends had never seen before. The three trainers were in battle with a group of South Sector shock troops and outnumbered.   
  
One of the Pokemon resembled a hybrid of a bird and human. Her plumage was red and yellow, the colours related to fire. She was in a martial arts stance, and her eyes filled with determination and focus. From her appearance, the trainers deduced that she was a Fire and Fighting type Pokemon. This Pokemon was Blaziken, whose owner was the eldest sister. Her pre-evolution, Torchic, was a starting Pokemon of trainers from the distant nation of Hoenn.   
  
The second of the three-monster team was a dinosaur with a marine appearance. His body was of different shades of blue and had fin-like appendages. He also had yellow markings on his limbs and whiskers on his cheeks. This Pokemon was definitely a Water type, but less obviously a Ground type as well. This Pokemon was Swampert, who was partnered with the younger sister. His pre-evolution, Mudkip, was also a Hoenn starter.   
  
The last member was a lizard with verdant scales and red markings. He was a biped Pokemon with a tail resembling a pine tree. Due to the fighting, he took on a fearsome demeanour to intimidate his foes. He was Sceptile, who was partnered with the sole boy. Sceptile's pre-evolution, Treecko, was the last of the Hoenn starter Pokemon.   
  
"Blaziken, Double Kick attack!"   
  
In compliance with her orders, Blaziken leapt up to the chest of a huge black dinosaur Digimon, Dark Tyrannomon. This Digimon dwarfed Blaziken in size completely. She threw a quick pair of thrusting kicks right onto the creature's chest. The creature stumbled backwards with only minor injuries, to the surprise of Blaziken's trainer. According to her knowledge of types, Dark types should be vulnerable to Fighting attacks...   
  
"What?" gasped the elder sister. "That Double Kick should have hurt him much more!"   
  
The brother realized his sister's mistake. "Maybe Digimon types work differently! Stay alert, we can't afford mistakes likes this again!"   
  
"Energy Cannon!"   
  
"Get down!"   
  
The younger sister tackled her siblings to the ground. A violet beam of energy sailed over their heads and punctured a car. The car burst into flames and flipped several feet into the air. It bounced on the ground, making several clangs before finally settling onto the ground. The siblings traced the source of the blast to a white furred gorilla. Unlike an ordinary gorilla, this one had its right arm replaced by a cybernetic arm cannon. This Digimon was known as Gorillamon.   
  
The Pokemon turned to check on their trainers' condition. They were relieved to learn they were unharmed and alright. Dark Tyrannomon exploited this momentary lapse of attention to sneak in an attack of his own. He exhaled his own Fire Blast attack, engulfing the siblings' Pokemon in flame. Blaziken and Swampert managed to withstand the flames due to their types, but Sceptile's body caught on fire! Swampert desperately sprayed water to douse the flames on his ally.   
  
The family of trainers began to get up, beginning with the younger sister. "He's right. We're lucky to still be alive! Our enemies can come from any direction. We must be more careful!"   
  
Gorillamon charged his cannon for another shot, and his targets were the three siblings, still lying prone on the ground. At that precise moment, a Pikachu jumped into his path. It fired a potent Thunder attack, which jolted Gorillamon with megawatts of electricity. The Gorillamon's form broke down and scattered into data particles before vanishing into thin air. Pikachu's trainer, Ash, checked the condition of the three siblings.   
  
"Are you three alright?"   
  
"We're fine!"   
  
"Giga Blaster!"   
  
Ash watched as Metal Greymon's chest plate opened, revealing an internal missile launcher. A pair of missiles shot out, and Ash could make out what looked like a fearsome face on each missile. The missiles homed onto Dark Tyrannomon and crashed into him, exploding with a loud boom. Like Gorillamon, Dark Tyrannomon was killed by the attack and crumbled into data before vanishing. The Pokemon trainer siblings were relieved that the threat was over.   
  
Tai smiled as he congratulated his Digimon partner: "Good work, Metal Greymon!"   
  
"No problem!"   
  
The siblings got up and dusted themselves off. The elder sister took a good look at Metal Greymon. She was terrified.   
  
"Digimon!" she screamed.   
  
Ash quickly moved to calm the girl down. "Calm down! They're our friends! They won't hurt you. They're here to defend the city."   
  
"Cool!" The boy looked over Metal Greymon both curiously and in admiration. "He looks powerful! I don't think any Pokemon would stand a chance against him..." The boy turned to Tai. "Are you his trainer? I have never seen or heard of a trainer with Digimon before."   
  
"I'm not a Pokemon trainer," corrected Tai. "I'm one of the Digidestined who defends the Digital World from harm."   
  
"Well, you look like a trainer to me..."   
  
Tai pointed to Ash and his trainer friends and said: "Ash and the others are the Pokemon trainers..." Tai then pointed to himself and the Digidestined. "...But we're not. Anyways, what will you three do now? If you want to help us, we'd appreciate that, but we're not going to force you."   
  
"We're searching for our parents. We got separated by the Digimon attacks."   
  
Matt pondered the siblings' plight. "Try looking at the Pokemon Centre or Professor Samuel Oak's lab. We're using them as bases and we send any missing people we find there. Your parents might be there."   
  
"Thank you, everyone. We're going there right away!" 


	7. Monster Mash

Luis:   
Have you heard about the new Ruby/Sapphire Pokemon games for Nintendo's Gameboy Advance? That's where these new Pokemon come from.   
  
  
  
AnT:   
At first, I was considering making the Pokemon trainers become Digidestined. However, I have since decided to abandon that point, and leave the trainers as just trainers. I prefer to keep the abilities of the characters from each show seperate. Like you said, these abilities define a large part of who the characters are (such as Ash's dream to be a Pokemon master).   
  
As far as season six characters, May is the one I want to include the most. However, I want to get a little more familiar with her before putting her in. I live in Canada and the network that shows Pokemon is still on Master Quest. If you know of any place that has anime clips of May in English, it would be greatly appreciated.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6: Monster Mash   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In their box, Team Rocket was bumped in every direction imaginable. "Ow, oooh, ow, ow!" they yelped each time the box moved in a new direction.   
  
After several minutes of continuous thrashing, everything became still. Team Rocket opened the lid and collapsed on the edge. Their faces were a sickly blue from nausea, and they could see little yellow stars orbiting their heads.   
  
"Ugggghh..." groaned Team Rocket.   
  
"I think I'm going to be sick..." gulped Meowth.   
  
"Don't they have labels marked 'fragile this side up' on the box?" complained Jessie.   
  
It took all of James' willpower to not throw up. "At least we're in Silph Town..."   
  
The trio stumbled out of the boxes in a daze, gradually recovering as they took in some fresh air. However, Silph Town was not as they remembered it. Potholes and concrete debris littered the streets as far as the eye could see. With each boom came a huge, flashy plume of flame, lighting up the hot spots where battles were waged. Each flare of fire left a column of smoke billowing into the air.   
  
James was shocked. "Those Digimon weren't kidding! There really is a war going on!"   
  
"Yeah..." agreed Jessie. "...And we're in the middle of it!"   
  
Meowth spotted several unfriendly-looking Digimon approaching. "Uh guys, we've got company!"   
  
Jessie and James turned to find five biped, lizard-like Digimon behind them. They each wore silvery helmets over their heads. The Digimon looked like they were on fire with flames constantly surrounding their bodies, and their fiery orange skin. They looked very dangerous to touch, and very hostile to Team Rocket. These Digimon were Flare Lizamon, and reasoning with them was not an option.   
  
"Humans!" cried one of the Flare Lizamon.   
  
"Kill them all!" commanded another.   
  
"Blaze Buster!"   
  
"YAAAAAAAH!" Team Rocket scrambled for safety, narrowly dodging an incoming jet of flames. They could feel the intense heat in the air.   
  
"Let's get out of here!" James began to make a run for it.   
  
"After them!"   
  
The Flare Lizamon were in hot pursuit. Though they didn't realize it, Team Rocket moved closer to the source of the fighting as they ran for dear life. They were not paying attention to where they were going, being more concerned with eluding their pursuers. Eventually, the Team Rocket ran right into an alley. There was no way out except for the entrance behind and the door on the building in front of them.   
  
"Open that door!" urged Meowth. "Hurry before they get us!"   
  
They tried to open the door, only to find it was locked and too sturdy to break down. Time was running out. Meowth attempted to pick the lock with a claw, but the lock was too complex for him. They desperately looked for another way out, other than going through the alley's entrance. The only option left was the fire escape railings that led to the building's roof.   
  
"There they are!" The Flare Lizamon blockaded the alley's entrance.   
  
James was scared out of his wits. "They found us!"   
  
"Hehehe! Now, which one of you will be first in our little barbecue?"   
  
"I'm too young to die!" complained Meowth. "I knew we shouldn't have got into the box! It's all Jessie's fault!"   
  
"MY FAULT? You're the one who wanted to stay with a hungry dinosaur!"   
  
Meowth and Jessie continued to argue while James made an effort to escape. James threw a Pokeball and Weezing appeared in a small burst of light. "Weezing, Smokescreen!"   
  
"Weezing!"   
  
A thick black smoke cloud descended from Weezing's mouth over the Flare Lizamon. They began to cough, momentarily preoccupied by the suffocating smoke. They scattered in an attempt to escape the cloud. When the smoke cleared, Team Rocket was nowhere in sight. The Flare Lizamon were furious. About a kilometre away, Team Rocket stopped to catch their breath.   
  
"Huff, huff, did we lose them?" asked Jessie.   
  
Meowth paused momentarily to catch his breath. "I think so..."   
  
Once Team Rocket regained their energy, they began to look around to get their bearings. The booms of explosions were more noticeable, almost deafening in their loudness. They were followed by a series of loud bangs, the sound of machineguns being fired. It was certain they had moved closer to the hotspots, possibly right next to a firefight even. In between the fighting, they could see some familiar faces.   
  
"Okay Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"   
  
Pikachu's surge of electricity paralysed several attacking South Sector Digimon. These creatures resembled mounds of yellow vegetable matter. They had mouths filled with jagged teeth and vines used for arms. These Digimon were Vegiemon. Several of their ranks were immediately deleted, but others survived and were simply incapacitated. In celebration, the Pikachu high-fived his trainer, Ash Ketchum.   
  
Jessie spotted Ash's friends as well. "It's the twerp with the Pikachu!" Jessie watched as Ash and Pikachu ran towards another skirmish. "They haven't seen us."   
  
"It looks like they're the ones who're fighting."   
  
Meowth pointed to a giant walrus and human hybrid Digimon. "What is that?"   
  
The Digimon wielded a massive hammer made of an unknown metal. He swung the hammer left and right, battering any enemy Digimon that came too close. Judging by the victims pained expressions, the walrus man was quite strong. Another Digimon unfamiliar to Team Rocket appeared. This one resembled a giant stag beetle with blue chitin. He gathered electricity in his horns and projected it in concentrated spheres.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The Digimon of the Digidestined and the Pokemon of the trainers continued the battle as best they could. It seemed that the enemy was increasing in number. It was clear the main force had moved into Silph Town to finish it off. The group came face to face with who they believed to be the leaders of the South Sector attack force. One resembled a violet horse in golden armour. The second looked like an armoured centaur, except with a sheep's body instead of a horse's. The final Digimon looked like a giant cobra with white scales.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Indramon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Horn of Desolation   
  
He is one of the twelve Devas; servants of the Sovereigns. This horse can turn the power of your own attack against you. He represents the Horse sign of the Chinese zodiac.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Pajiramon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Double-Edged Arrows, Thunder Stomp   
  
She is one of the twelve Devas; servants of the Sovereigns. Her scream can incapacitate humans over several city blocks. She represents the Sheep sign of the Chinese zodiac.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Sandiramon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Venom Axe   
  
He is one of the twelve Devas; servants of the Sovereigns. He loves to cause the destruction of his enemies with sadistic glee. He represents the Snake sign of the Chinese zodiac.   
===================================================   
  
"You must be the leader of the Digimon!" remarked Ash. "Call off the attack now! What you are doing is wrong!"   
  
Casey was indignant. "Yeah, don't harm all these innocent people just because someone else did something bad!"   
  
The Horse Deva, Indramon, spoke: "You humans have overstayed your welcome in the Digital World. Now it is time for us to be rid of you!"   
  
A golden cornucopia floated in the air with its wider opening facing the heroes. This cornucopia was Indramon's weapon, the Horn of Desolation. Indramon was an Ultimate and a Sovereign's servant, which meant that he was surely powerful. The heroes have never fought him before, so they prepared for the unexpected. Metal Greymon kept his eyes firmly focused on the Horse Deva, watching his every move in case of attack. Pikachu did the same as his cheeks crackled with electricity. Indramon remained unmoved, and was not intimidated by his foes.   
  
"If you interfere, Digidestined, you will share their fate as well!" threatened Pajiramon.   
  
Several Digimon approached the group from the front. They were five Gorillamon and had their Energy Cannons aimed at Gatomon, Casey's Chikorita, Misty's Poliwhirl, and Brock's Onix. Pajiramon aimed her crossbow threateningly at Zudomon. In response, he brandished his hammer in preparation to strike. Highly toxic venom dripped from Sandiramon's fangs as he eyed both Lillymon and Were Garurumon. However, the front wasn't the only direction the enemy came from...   
  
Sora looked behind to see more Digimon blocking their escape route from behind. "More Digimon coming from behind!"   
  
These five Digimon resembled mobile flowers. The flowering part made their heads, and had jack-o'-lantern-like faces. They walked on a set of thorny vines and used four of these vines as arms. At the end of each limb was an eyeless, flowering head similar to the creature's central head. Birdramon, Angemon, Kabuterimon, and Tracey's Scyther entered into a stare down with the Digimon.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Blossomon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Spiral Flower   
  
This mobile flower can be very petty and cruel. It grows big from the rich soil of the South Sector jungles.   
===================================================   
  
The situation was as a fragile as a house made of playing cards. Only one provocation was needed before a battle began. That provocation came in the form of a boom from a nearby explosion. Instinctively, Pajiramon fired her arrow. Zudomon parried the blow, and counterattacked with a swing of his Vulcan's Hammer. Pajiramon leapt away to safely, making Zudomon hit the ground instead and cracking the street underneath.   
  
In the Gorillamon skirmish, Casey initiated the attack. "Chikorita, Vine Whip!"   
  
Chikorita's vines slapped Gorillamon One in the head, dazing him and causing his skin to welt. In compliance with Casey's orders, Chikorita pursued the advantage and sent Gorillamon into the ground with a Tackle attack. The second Gorillamon fired his Energy Cannon at his target, Poliwhirl. In accordance with Misty's orders, Poliwhirl evaded the attack. The energy hit the ground harmlessly, exploding and rupturing a pothole into the street. Gorillamon Two continued his offensive.   
  
Blown debris from the explosions toppled Poliwhirl. Misty was alarmed. "Poliwhirl, are you okay?"   
  
Brock capitalized on the Gorillamon Two's preoccupation with Poliwhirl. "Onix, Bind Gorillamon!"   
  
Onix wrapped its massive girth around Gorillamon Two's body, squeezing him to submission. Gorillamon Two tried to force his way free, but Onix was wound too tightly. In a desperate gambit, the Gorillamon managed to free his cannon arm and struggled to aim it at Onix's head. In response, Brock ordered his Pokemon to compensate and readjust his hold. Gorillamon fell forward and Onix gained supremacy over his foe.   
  
Misty was glad for the assist. "Thanks Brock, I owe you one!"   
  
"Lightning Paw!" cried Gatomon as she socked Gorillamon Three's head.   
  
In the Blossomon skirmish, Tracey responded to his enemy's assault. "Scyther, dodge that flower!"   
  
With impressive speed, Scyther evaded a flower that came at him like a shuriken. Tracey ordered a Slash attack on Blossomon One and the Mantis Pokemon sliced into the Flower Bush Digimon's body. Scyther knocked her down, and dazed her momentarily. Unexpectedly, a second Blossomon wrapped her vine around Scyther's neck and began strangling the Mantis Pokemon.   
  
TK was alarmed. "Angemon, help Scyther! Everybody, get us some cover!"   
  
"No problem," responded Izzy.   
  
"Angel's Staff!" called Angemon, magically summoning a holy staff made of wood.   
  
Angemon proceeded to prod his Angel's Staff into the side of Blossomon Two's head. The immense pain forced her to release her hold on Scyther, much to the Pokemon's gratitude. Behind them a third Blossomon moved to attack the distracted Angemon and Scyther. Kabuterimon intercepted and barred the Blossomon's path. She was angered and turned her wrath onto Kabuterimon instead.   
  
"Spiral Flower!"   
  
Kabuterimon blocked the attack, and subsequently countered. "Electroshocker!" Blossomon Three convulsed in pain before collapsing.   
  
"Pikachu, Thunder!" Following his orders, Pikachu sent a column of lightning inching towards Indramon.   
  
"Giga Blaster!" followed Metal Greymon. A pair of destructive missiles launched; aimed at the Horse Deva's chest.   
  
As the attacks flew to their foe, they were suddenly sucked into Indramon's horn! Tai was surprised. "What the..."   
  
"Pika! (Impossible!)"   
  
Ash was shocked. "He absorbed our attacks?"   
  
Indramon took a deep breath and blew hard into his horn. "Horn of Desolation!"   
  
A massive yellow blast erupted from the horn, forcing Tai and Ash to take cover! Following an explosion, Metal Greymon and Pikachu were flattened. A cloud of thick smoke blanketed the battlefield. Tai and Ash coughed as they fanned the smoke away, and searched for their downed partners. They were concerned for their partners' well being. They found Pikachu and Metal Greymon with black blast marks all over their bodies. It was clear they were hurt.   
  
"Pikachu!"   
  
"Metal Greymon!"   
  
"Are you okay? Speak to me!"   
  
"Pika... (I'm fine...)"   
  
"Me too, Tai."   
  
The South Sector enemies had the advantage in numbers and gained control of the battle. The fight turned from good to worse for the heroes. They taking heavy injuries from the might of the enemy.   
  
Joe watched in frustration as an energy blast bowled Zudomon over from behind. "There's too many of them! We have to run!"   
  
Sora watched in horror as a Spiral Flower clipped Garudamon's left wing, sending her hurtling to the ground. She scrambled to tend to her Garudamon, who regressed back to Biyomon. "Joe's right! We must escape!"   
  
Were Garurumon socked Sandiramon with a kick to the chin, momentarily dazing the Snake Deva. Were Garurumon's danger sense went off, but it was too late, and he was flattened by an unseen energy blast.   
  
Were Garurumon struggled to stand. "We have nowhere to go, they've got us surrounded!"   
  
Ash's adrenaline was pumping, desperately looking everywhere for an escape route. "Punch through the Gorillamon! They are only Champions. They're weaker than the others."   
  
Gatomon kicked off Gorillamon Three's head, making him fumble backwards dazed. Instinctively, Gorillamon Four covered his buddy. He fired his Energy Cannon, forcing Gatomon into a defensive mode. "They're covering each other too well, we can't break through!"   
  
Everyone was frustrated and tired from constant fighting. The fight was going badly, and the injuries to their Digimon and Pokemon were mounting, even with the trainers' ability to substitute in new fighters. Kabuterimon dropped Blossomon Four with an electrifying Electroshocker attack. However, Blossomon Five capitalized on his distraction to nail him unexpectedly. As she approached for the kill, it looked like the end was near, when a miracle happened. Suddenly, a blast of fire incinerated Blossomon Five!   
  
Kabuterimon looked up to see his saviour, a large red tyrannosaurus Digimon. Meanwhile, Indramon was bludgeoned from behind, and crashed headfirst into a ruined building. Tai and Ash spotted his assailant, a winged tiger with armour on its shoulders. A second assailant chopped down Pajiramon from behind with an axe. The assailant resembled a giant bunny. The third assailant sprayed a gout of flame onto the exposed backside of Sandiramon. This assailant resembled a wizened, serpentine dragon. Everyone was thankful for the three assailants' help.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Mihiramon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Samurai Tiger Tail, Armoured Tiger Tail   
  
He is one of the twelve Devas; servants of the Sovereigns. He is a beast who can turn his tail into various weapons. He represents the Tiger sign of the Chinese zodiac.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Antylamon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Bunny Blades   
  
She is one of the twelve Devas; servants of the Sovereigns. She can turn her arms and hands into axes, and fights with a twirling, dance-like style. She represents the Rabbit sign of the Chinese zodiac.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Majiramon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Flaming Arrow Heads, Fire Wall   
  
He is one of the twelve Devas; servants of the Sovereigns. His flames are red hot and can melt the hardest steel. He represents the Dragon sign of the Chinese zodiac.   
===================================================   
  
The Tiger Deva spoke: "Digidestined and trainers, I am Mihiramon, one of the twelve Devas. You have done all that you can! Go to the West and defend the last Destiny Stones!"   
  
"Okay everybody, we're done here! Make a run for it!" cried Matt.   
  
"Tai, get your friends and Digimon ready to take us out of here. Pokemon trainers, give them cover!   
  
Several East Sector Digimon converged on the heroes' location, creating and covering an escape route. The non-flying Digimon regressed to their standard forms. One by one, each hero and non-flying Digimon climbed onto the Digimon capable of flight. The Pokemon provided vital cover before they were recalled. As the heroes escaped, they looked back on the battle. The fighting was getting intense with explosions, energy, and elemental blasts being exchanged. The sudden appearance of East Sector defenders caught the South Sector invaders by surprise.   
  
Ash cradled injured Pikachu in his arms. "Let's go to the Pokemon Centre. Our partners are hurt. They need attention."   
  
The Digimon made a brief stop at the Pokemon Centre. Inside were many injured Pokemon, victims of Zhuqiaomon's invasion into Silph Town. Most of them were covered in bandages. The Pokemon Centre had been turned into a field hospital for the injured. Due to the great number of wounded, many patients had to be kept in the lobby. The staff and especially Nurse Joy were hit hard with all the work needed to care for so many Pokemon. Surprisingly, Gennai was there waiting for the heroes.   
  
"Gennai? When did you get here?" asked Misty.   
  
"I figured you'd come here. We must go to the West immediately. Baihumon has called a strategy meeting for defence of his Destiny Stones."   
  
"Our Pokemon and the Digimon are injured," objected Ash. "We can't do anything while they're still hurt!"   
  
"Pika Pika Pikachu! (I don't have the strength to fight anymore!)" lamented Pikachu.   
  
"Don't worry about that. I was just speaking with Baihumon, and he promised to take care of everything, including the Pokemon and Digimon. Don't worry."   
  
"Alright Gennai, how do we go to the West?" asked Izzy.   
  
"I'm creating a portal there now. Stand back."   
  
Gennai waved his hands and a portal opened before him. On the other side was a massive room large enough to contain four football fields. Its walls were made of what seemed to be a shiny, unknown metal, possibly platinum. The room was filled with Digimon of various shapes, sizes and species. All of them were gathered around the largest Digimon, situated in the centre. The heroes' stepped in and instantly appeared in that very room.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The central Digimon was a sight to behold; he was Baihumon, Sovereign of the West Sector. He resembled a humungous white tiger, and was easily the size of a mountain. He had four red eyes, which peered at the crowd through holes in his blue mask. His claws were covered by metal guards, which made him look ready for battle. A set of white orbs orbited around this beast's body like a ring. The trainers were in awe and if any Digimon could be considered "Legendary," it would certainly have to be Baihumon.   
  
Baihumon began his address. "Friends and servants of the Digital World, we are in grave peril. Already, thieves have severed the link of several Destiny Stones to their Sovereigns and stole them. We must act now to stop their plot! I now call upon the Devas to step forward!"   
  
In compliance with their master's will, six Digimon stepped forward. The first resembled an insect and rat hybrid. The next two resembled a gigantic warthog with bushy fur, and a centaur with an ox's body instead of a horse's. The final three were a monkey, a dog-like Chinese statue come to life, and a giant rooster. These six were half of a group of servants to the Sovereigns called the "Devas." The heroes remembered the six that were fighting back in Silph Town.   
  
"In my temple lies one of the seven Destiny Stones of the West. I doubt the enemy will have the audacity to enter my temple, but the others aren't so safe... Our mission is to defend the Destiny Stones from theft. It is preferable to capture the thieves, so we can interrogate them. These are the assignments..."   
  
Each Deva was to lead a special defence force to guard one of the Destiny Stones. The heroes split up amongst the teams led by the Ox Deva, Vajramon, and the Dog Deva, Chatsuramon. The heroes assigned to Team Vajramon consisted of Tai, Izzy, Kari, Sora, Casey, and Tracey. Team Chatsuramon consisted of Ash, Brock, Misty, Matt, TK, Joe, and Mimi. In addition to the heroes, both Team Vajramon and Team Chatsuramon included several West Sector Digimon.   
  
"I wonder where we've going," pondered Ash.   
  
Vajramon disliked the idea of working with humans. "Listen to me, humans. I can tolerate the Digidestined..." Vajramon pointed to Tracey and Casey. "...But not you. Consider yourself lucky that Baihumon ordered me to work with you! Orders ARE orders; obey me, and there will be no problems, understood?"   
  
Tracey and Casey replied affirmatively: "Of course!"   
  
Vajramon smiled. "Good! Baihumon will restore the energy of your Pokemon and the Digimon. After that, we're leaving for our post."   
  
In a gentle glow of white light, Baihumon refreshed the Pokemon and Digimon of both teams. The surge of power felt so great. Pikachu flexed his muscles and began punching the air like a boxer getting psyched for a fight.   
  
Ash smiled. "Feeling great, right Pikachu?"   
  
Pikachu felt as though he could take on the whole South Sector. He continued to punch, bobbing and weaving to evade imaginary blows. "Pika! (Yeah!)"   
  
Team Vajramon followed their leader into a glowing portal and vanished. In another group, Team Chatsuramon was having their own "pep talk." Chatsuramon didn't like working with humans any more than Vajramon did.   
  
Chatsuramon turned to Ash, Brock, and Misty. "Like Vajramon said, follow orders and there will be no trouble. Am I understood?"   
  
"Yes sir!" they replied.   
  
"Good... We're going to take up position in a city. The Destiny Stone is the statue of Baihumon in the square."   
  
"Isn't that a bit too out in the open for something so important?" asked Joe.   
  
"It makes an excellent location for an ambush. If they don't know we're there, they'll let their guard down. Once they take the bait, we leap out and spring the trap!"   
  
"This sounds very risky," commented Brock. "But if it works, we've got the thieves where we want them."   
  
Team Chatsuramon entered the portal, and were instantly transported to their post. The square was a small, beautiful park nestled between the concrete jungle of the city. There was a very sparse number of trees and visibility was good. As Chatsuramon said, there was a prominent marble statue right in the centre of the park. This statue was of Baihumon, but instead of orbs, a golden, engraved ring encircled the statue's waist. This Destiny Stone was the bait for Chatsuramon's trap.   
  
As Chatsuramon gave orders each member of his defence team took positions. Chatsuramon's plan involved blending in with the environment, which was a problem for the human members of his team. Humans weren't normally found in the West Sector, unlike the East Sector, and would arouse too much suspicion. The Pokemon had to do the same, since the robbers were sure to recognize them for what they were. Everyone except the Digimon had to keep out of public sight and hide within nearby buildings.   
  
To the north of the square was a bakery with sweet smelling treats from cakes to breads. The Taprimon proprietor cooperated with Chatsuramon and allowed Team Chatsuramon to hide out and use his shop. Several gear-like Digimon, Hagurumon, brought in a set of radar and communications equipment into the living area above the bakery. They worked with amazing efficiency, quickly erecting a radar dish on the roof and connecting it to the monitoring equipment. The radio operator, another Hagurumon, made a successful test run of the equipment.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Hagurumon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Rookie   
Attacks: Darkness Gear   
  
These Digimon are manual labourers and foot soldiers of Baihumon's domain. Though weak individually, they are as organized as an army of the Real World.   
===================================================   
  
Chatsuramon was pleased and his Hagurumon handed radios to everyone. "Okay, our radar is running. We're going to trap the enemy from the north and the south. Pokemon trainers, you hide here. The others, come with me."   
  
Chatsuramon lead TK, Matt, Joe, Mimi and their Digimon to a ten-story hotel south of the square. The Hagurumon set up a series of cannons in sniper posts hidden on the top of the hotel. The Hagurumon panned the guns around, making sure nothing suspicious escaped their sight. The Digidestined holed up in rooms on the second floor, watching the statue in regular shifts. The West Sector Digimon defence force posed as civilians, blending into the Digimon population.   
  
Ash was confident. "With this many people here, there's no way they will get the Destiny Stone!"   
  
Brock wasn't so confident. "I still think they have some tricks up their sleeves. We'd better keep our eyes open for anything unusual."   
  
"Brock's right. Don't forget that they have stolen Destiny Stones six times successfully before," warned Misty. "We can't be careless!"   
  
Thus the heroes laid in wait for the enemy to come. The enemy was in for a surprise if they dared showed their faces in the square...   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Back in Silph Town, the battle between the East and the South raged on. In a more "quiet" part of town, several bodies, both Pokemon and human, laid abandoned. Unbeknownst to anyone, a series of portals materialized near the corpses. On the other side of the portals was a world straight out of a negative photograph. It was the Dark Area on the other side, but it was a bad region of that plane used to exile evil Digimon.   
  
From these dimensional gates emerged a Phantomon with a sack, and some Bakemon helpers. These ghosts cast a suspicious aura and their thoughts were filled with corrupt desires. These ghosts were not the noble servants of Anubismon, but served a much darker power. Like vultures, they descended on the dead to exploit them to their advantage.   
  
Phantomon opened his sack. "Okay, load them in and make it quick."   
  
The Bakemon moved quickly, tossing the bodies of each human and Pokemon into the sack. Each body crumbled into data particles upon entry, making a sound similar to wood being sawed. The data gradually accumulated as the bodies came in. It was easy to load the bodies of a child or a very small Pokemon. The larger Pokemon and adult humans were another matter entirely. They were much heavier, especially the Pokemon.   
  
Phantomon was growing impatient. "Argggh, what's taking so long? Hurry up!"   
  
The Bakemon strained to move the body of a red, dragon-like Pokemon, Charizard. It was the hardest work the Bakemon had ever had to do. "Sorry boss, but this Pokemon is heavy!"   
  
"Yeah, easy for you to say, you're not moving this thing!"   
  
"Less talk, more work! We can't afford to let anyone spot us doing this... Our master does not take failure well, so move it!"   
  
Despite Phantomon's nagging, the Bakemon finished securing data from the bodies of the dead. With their job finished, they fled back into the portals. 


	8. Prisoners of War

Luis:   
The Phantomon and Bakemon's purpose will soon become clear, and it's not a good thing for anyone...   
  
  
  
Epsilon:   
Yeah, I see what you mean. It just increases with everything new released. At least there are websites that have information... As far as your wager is concerned, let's just say the enemy's true identity will become apparent soon.   
  
  
  
AnT:   
That's right, this story is set before the events of 02. With respect to May, I did see some still images of her interactions with Ash and Brock. With no text, I could only guess at what they were actually saying and doing... Anyways, I appreciate all the information you've given me, AnT. I've decided to include May after all. Count on seeing her appear sometime in the future.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7: Prisoners of War   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Team Vajramon stepped through, and were instantly transport to an assembly line in a factory. Conveyor belts ran down the length of the metal room, transporting parts for unknown machinery. The Gear Digimon, Hagurumon, focused on their work, not stopping to look at Team Vajramon. The foreman came out to greet the team. He was a rotund robot with a rust coloured metal body. Ash pulled out the Pokedex to scan the troops.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Guardromon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Champion   
Attacks: Guardian Barrage   
  
Guardromon is the foreman of the Hagurumon. This walking arsenal was built for all-out warfare.   
===================================================   
  
"We are here under orders of Baihumon. There may be a theft attempt on the Destiny Stone, so we are here to protect it. Show us where it is," ordered Vajramon.   
  
The Guardromon foreman led the group to a metallic chamber. The Destiny Stone was directly in the centre, and resembled a massive diamond and connected to several wires. It had the trademark golden ring, just like all the other Destiny Stones. The diamond glittered beautifully, and its light reflected off the silvery metal panels on the wall. This room was used to turn ordinary metal into the valuable magical metal, Chrome Digizoid. Chrome Digizoid was valued for its incredible strength, lightness, and resistance to all types of elements. It was the perfect metal for use as weapons or armour.   
  
"This is where we keep the Destiny Stone. We use it to turn ordinary metal to Chrome Digizoid and also to power our factory."   
  
"Chrome Digizoid?" asked Tracey.   
  
"Yep," replied the Guardromon foreman. "It's found naturally on some Digimon as armour or cybernetic implants." Guardromon proceeded to describe Chrome Digizoid's properties.   
  
"Cool! I'm sure a lot of people would find this metal very useful."   
  
"Yeah, but Chrome Digizoid is very rare. You're more likely to find it on a Digimon like I said."   
  
"War Greymon's implants and claws are made of Chrome Digizoid," added Tai.   
  
"War Greymon?"   
  
"War Greymon is my Mega form!" chimed in Agumon.   
  
Vajramon turned his mind back to the business at hand. "Okay troops, I want a defences set up all around this factory. No one gets in or out with me knowing about it!"   
  
Vajramon's Digimon troops scouted out the factory complex and determined several key areas to place watchers. Tai and Agumon were placed in the hall above the front door. Casey, Tracey, and Sora patrolled the various corridors and rooms. Izzy, Kari and their Digimon assisted the Digimon at the barricade placed on the only road leading to the factory. Finally, Vajramon set up just outside the Destiny Stone room, to personally ensure that it was watched.   
  
As each group took their position, they were handed radios to maintain communication. A full day passed by uneventfully, and the sun rose the next morning. In the storeroom, the girls were still soundly sleeping. Each girl slept on a hammock suspended at different corners of the room. Sora shifted onto her right side to face the crates where Gatomon slept. Their peaceful sleep was about to be interrupted by their boss, Vajramon.   
  
Vajramon's loud knocking resounded on the door. "Wake up!"   
  
Casey yawned. "Morning already?"   
  
"Get up, we've got a Destiny Stone to guard."   
  
Casey rubbed her eyes, and yawned with her mouth wide open. The other girls and their Digimon began to stir as well. They went to the washroom to freshen themselves up and went to the mess hall for breakfast. The mess hall was a typical room for Digimon to eat; filled with a series of benches. The boys, Vajramon, some Hagurumon, and other Digimon were already there, enjoying their breakfast.   
  
Kari was entranced by a sweet smell. "Mmm, pancakes!"   
  
Sora received a serving of the pancakes and some orange juice. She took a seat beside Tracey on the bench. "Good morning, guys!"   
  
"Good morning, Sora!" replied Tai.   
  
Izzy was looking at images on his computer as he ate. Izzy's computer was wired into the factory's security network. "Nothing wrong so far." Izzy took a bite out of his pancakes.   
  
"Seems kinda quiet... Too quiet..." remarked Tracey with suspicion. "The others teams haven't seen anything either."   
  
Vajramon looked up from the other end of the table. "Oh, the enemy will come, I know it. Maybe not here, but I know they will come. We must be ready then."   
  
Team Vajramon finished their breakfast and took their posts. Nothing happened at all during the morning and soon it was lunchtime. The team ate a delicious lunch consisting of spaghetti and meatballs. They returned to their posts again, and patrolled for suspicious activity or individuals. Everyone was quiet, but that soon changed, starting with the barricade. The barricade was situated on the sole road between a pair of mountains. It was about a kilometre from the factory itself.   
  
The barricade consisted of a booth for guards, and a wall of stone reinforced with sandbags. This wall ensured that the only way to the other side was the opening for the road itself. A pair of Digimon, Tankmon, blocked the road itself with their massive girths. They turned their turret-like heads left and right, scanning the area with their cybernetically enhanced eyes. A second pair of Tankmon flanked the opening watching the area alongside Kari, Izzy and their Digimon.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Tankmon   
Type: Data   
Level: Champion   
Attacks: Hyper Cannon, Machinegun Arm   
  
This mobile arsenal has a lethal sneeze. He can match the firepower of an entire military squad.   
===================================================   
  
A small supply truck stopped in front of the barricade to be inspected by some Hagurumon. The Hagurumon ordered the driver, a Tapirmon, outside of the truck. The small, tapir-like Digimon floated away on its cloud-like legs and waited as his cargo was inspected. The Digimon impatiently adjusted the ring on his left paw as he watched the inspectors scan his cargo. Izzy and Kari opened each box as the head Hagurumon looked over the contents.   
  
"Hmm... fruit, vegetables, meat, nothing suspicious here. Okay, put the cargo back so he can pass."   
  
The Hagurumon reloaded his cargo gently and the Tapirmon drove by. A half hour later, Tapirmon finished his delivery and the barricade guards let him pass again. Another half hour later, the guards spotted an unidentified van speeding towards the barricade. It looked very suspicious, so Izzy recommended that they stop the van.   
  
A Hagurumon turned on his microphone. "You in the van, pull over for inspection!"   
  
The van continued at its current speed and path. Once the van came close enough, Izzy and Tentomon took a clear look at the seat to identify the driver. The seat was completely vacant!   
  
"No driver?" asked Tentomon in disbelief.   
  
"That's impossible!" cried Kari.   
  
"It must be remote controlled..." Izzy thought for a brief second and realized to his horror, what was truly happening. "CAR BOMB!"   
  
Everyone suddenly went on full alert. "FIRE!" ordered a Tankmon.   
  
"Hyper Cannon!"   
  
The Tankmon proceeded to shell the incoming van, ripping the air with deafening booms. They punched several potholes into the road, but surprisingly, the van swerved to its left, evading the shells. Izzy was right about the van being remotely controlled. The Tankmon fired again, this time with their Machinegun Arms. Their bullets ricocheted off the metal of the van, revealing it to be shielded by some sort of armour. The van continued to accelerate, speeding suicidally into the wall.   
  
"TAKE COVER!"   
  
Everyone scrambled for cover moments before the van slammed into the wall and exploded. It burst into a massive ball of fire, totalling the van and blowing the wall down. Izzy helped Kari get up from the ground and watched as a convoy of dune buggies sped by. The duo looked around to see the Tankmon toppled onto their side, and injured by the blast. The Hagurumon were nowhere in sight.   
  
Tai's voice chimed in from the radio: "Izzy, Kari, what happened? Are you alright?"   
  
Izzy pressed a button on his radio. "They sent a car bomb into the barricade; everything's on fire! Dune buggies are heading your way, stop them!"   
  
Back at the factory, Tai sounded the alarm. Agumon daringly crashed through the second story window. "Agumon, Digivolve to... Greymon!"   
  
The Digidestined, Digimon and Pokemon trainers scrambled to reach the front and join the battle. Greymon could see the clouds of sand kicked up by the tires of the dune buggies. They were closing in from the distance. A few flashes of light flickered from the buggies, and Greymon recognized them as Pokemon being released from their Pokeballs. A massive green dinosaur with green, stony armour materialized before Greymon. This was the Armour Pokemon, Tyranitar.   
  
"Tyranitar, Hyper Beam!"   
  
A golden beam of concussive energy streamed at Greymon. He narrowly the beam, and watched as it blew a hole into the wall of the factory. Tai shouted words of encouragement from the second floor. For his counter attack, Greymon uttered "Nova Blast," and spewed a massive, billowing ball of flame from his mouth. Tyranitar braced himself as the fireball engulfed his torso.   
  
A second unseen Hyper Beam slammed into Greymon, throwing him into the factory wall. Greymon grunted in pain and Tai was worried. "Greymon, are you ok? There are two of them, so you better Digivolve!"   
  
"Greymon, Digivolve to... Metal Greymon!"   
  
Metal Greymon blocked a second pair of incoming Hyper Beams with his cybernetic claw. "Giga Blaster!"   
  
Metal Greymon's chest plate opened and launched a pair of highly explosive missiles. Upon impact with the first Tyranitar, the missiles exploded and flung the Armour Pokemon into the ground. Another Hyper Beam struck Metal Greymon in the ribs, jarring him significantly. This sneaky attack angered Metal Greymon and prompted him to retaliate with his Mega Claw.   
  
Metal Greymon's claw shot out from its socket and threw the second Tyranitar backwards like a bullet. The Pokemon's body accidentally crashed into a passing dune buggy, toppling the vehicle onto its side. More Pokemon began to converge on Metal Greymon's location. They were creatures that Tai was not familiar with. Though Tai knew his Digimon was strong, Metal Greymon couldn't possibly stand up to being swarmed by so many Pokemon.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Back inside the factory, the ground began to shudder, keeping the others at bay. Severe earthquakes were hammering the factory. It was as though the very building itself was being cracked open. Sora and Casey ran down a stair well to reach the front. The stairs suddenly shook and some small rubble fell from above. Sora tumbled downwards and landed in a heap on the platform below.   
  
Biyomon rushed to her partner's side. "Sora, are you okay?"   
  
Sora covered a small bruise on the side of her head. "Owww! I think so, it's just a bruise."   
  
Casey was on full alert. "We have to get outside. The building might collapse at any second!"   
  
Sora got up and continued fleeing. "This can't be a coincidence! The timing can't be natural..."   
  
"It's those attackers! They made this earthquake with Pokemon to throw us off!" denounced Casey.   
  
Indeed, Casey's suspicions were right. In the Destiny Stone room, Vajramon and his underlings were being thrown everywhere by the shaking. The earthquake was even more severe in the room than where Casey and Sora were. The roof started to cave in and Vajramon ordered everyone to flee. As they left, a gaping hole opened in the ground, and the Destiny Stone fell in. Vajramon could briefly see what resembled several mole-like creatures. It was clear they were responsible for causing the earthquakes.   
  
"Dig dig dig! Dig dig dig! Trio trio trio!" they uttered nonsensically. It almost seemed like they were singing while doing their digging. The roof collapsed, blocking the entrance to the room.   
  
"Argggh, they have the Stone!" admitted Vajramon in defeat. Vajramon and the other Digimon fled from the building before it finally collapsed.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The roof over Tai's head came tumbling down. In a moment of desperation, he jumped out of the window as did a fellow Hagurumon patroller. Tai landed on his feet abruptly, shaken by his sudden attempt at self-preservation. Metal Greymon was doing his best to put the enemy down. However, it was clear he was being swarmed and losing control of the battle. Though he was still standing, Metal Greymon's body was marked by several black marks from wounds.   
  
Even with the Hagurumon's help, both Digimon were outnumbered. The two Tyranitar had recovered from Metal Greymon's crushing blows and renewed their attack. They were joined by a small brachiosaurus with plant-like attributes. This Pokemon, Meganium, coiled its Vine Whip around Metal Greymon's leg. Metal Greymon attempted to break free, leaving himself momentarily vulnerable. The Tyranitar fired two Hyper Beams in tandem as Meganium pulled, toppling Metal Greymon onto his back.   
  
A ferocious blue alligator, Feraligator, sprayed its Water Gun into Hagurumon's face, disorienting the Gear Digimon. A second Pokemon, resembling a weasel on fire, rammed into Hagurumon and smashed him into the factory's wall. This Pokemon, Typhlosion, sprayed a roaring Flame Thrower onto the helpless Digimon until he finally collapsed on the ground.   
  
"Marill, Water Gun!" In a twist of poetic justice, a jet of water smashed Typhlosion into the factory wall from behind. Typhlosion was knocked out cold.   
  
Marill smiled. "Marill! (Alright!)"   
  
"Marill, Water Gun that Tyranitar!" Marill's second water jet scored a direct hit on the Armour Pokemon's chest. Tyranitar collapsed as the water painfully eroded its stony armour.   
  
Metal Greymon got onto his feet and his morale surged with renewed vigour. "Giga Blaster!" Metal Greymon's missiles blew the last Tyranitar down, knocking him out.   
  
"Is everyone alright?" asked Tracey.   
  
"Yeah, you couldn't have chosen a better time to show up!" proclaimed Tai.   
  
Hagurumon flicked a volley of black gears at Feraligator, pelting the Big Jaw Pokemon everywhere on its body. "Marill, Feraligator is open, Water Gun!" The water hurled the Big Jaw Pokemon backwards into Meganium, taking both Pokemon out.   
  
"Pokemon, return!"   
  
"We got what we came for, retreat!"   
  
The dune buggies wheeled around in front of Hagurumon, Marill, and Metal Greymon. They made a hard left turn to flee, just as the rest of Team Vajramon entered the scene. "Stop them! Don't let them get away!" cried Tai.   
  
Metal Greymon flew into air and then swooped down on the nearest buggy, blocking its way with his claw. The robbers abandoned the buggy moments before it crashed into the claw, throwing themselves onto the sandy ground. Vajramon launched his Deva Blade attack. He slashed with his pair of swords, projecting an energy shockwave into another buggy's tire. It ground to a halt, and Vajramon moved to capture the robbers.   
  
The robbers attempted to remove their seatbelts to escape, but the Ox Deva held his blade near the driver's throat. "Don't be a fool..."   
  
Birdramon swooped from the sky and caught a third buggy in her claws. She quickly flew high into the air terrifying the robbers and entrapping them. "Let us down!" ordered the robber.   
  
Birdramon let her grip slip slightly. "NOT LIKE THAT! NOT LIKE THAT!" cried the other robber in terror. Birdramon strengthened her grip.   
  
Sora was elated. "Great work, Birdramon! Keep them up there!"   
  
"I'll get that one!" called Casey. "Beedrill, Chikorita, I choose you! Beedrill, get the driver! Chikorita stall that buggy with Vine Whip!"   
  
"Chika! (No problem!)" Vines extended from Chikorita's neck and latched onto the rails of the buggy.   
  
She strained to stop the buggy, kicking up dirt as she was pulled forward. Eventually, the force was too much for her, and she was pulled off the ground. Casey pursued Chikorita in an attempt to help her. Beedrill managed to latch onto the driver, causing him to panic. The buggy swerved sharply and erratically as the driver attempted to shoo Beedrill away.   
  
Casey stayed in hot pursuit of her Pokemon. "Chikorita are you okay?"   
  
"Chika! (Don't worry!)"   
  
All of a sudden, a beautiful white glow engulfed Chikorita's body! Tracey watched the event in awe. "Chikorita's evolving!"   
  
When the glow subsided, Chikorita had become a totally new Pokemon. She now resembled an earlier form of the Meganium that Tracey had taken out. Chikorita had transformed into a miniature green brachiosaurus with the characteristics of a plant. She now had leaves growing around her long neck, and one growing on the top of her head. Chikorita had evolved to Bayleef, the Leaf Pokemon, and gained increased strength.   
  
Casey could feel her Pokemon's newfound strength. "Awesome! Bayleef, try stopping the buggy again!"   
  
Bayleef dug her feet into the ground and pulled on her vines. Her increased physical strength proved to be a blessing, slowing the buggy down considerably. Casey, and then Tracey, caught up and helped pull on the vine, stopping the buggy completely. Beedrill continued to harass the robbers, diverting their attention from the road. In desperation, the robbers abandoned the buggy and made a run for it. Beedrill gave pursuit to the driver, leaving the passenger unattended to.   
  
"Bayleef, Vine Whip the passenger!" Again, vines extended from Casey's Pokemon and entwined around the fleeing robber. He tripped and fell face first onto the sand, and Bayleef towed the robber back to justice.   
  
The driver continued to struggle with Beedrill and was eventually overwhelmed, falling onto the ground. "Okay, okay! I give up! Call off your Beedrill! Call off your Beedrill!" Casey complied and the robber stood up and raised his hands in surrender.   
  
Team Vajramon began to gather up the captured robbers. Tracey spotted the last buggy in the distance, making its getaway. "No! He got away!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The missing robbers celebrated their escape. "Yeah, those kids won't catch us now! It's smooth sailing back home from here!"   
  
The robbers sped down the road. A few minutes passed by, and they reached the barricade. The remains of the car bomb were still flaming, casting an orange glow over the sand. They continued onwards and passed the barricade, making sure to stay well away from the fires. It seemed that nothing could go wrong, or so they thought...   
  
"Celestial Arrow!" A bolt of holy energy came out of nowhere, puncturing a hole in the buggy's right rear tire.   
  
The buggy's controls were disrupted. "What the..."   
  
The driver struggled to regain control. A massive stag beetle flew by at top speed, surprising the robbers. The two did not see the sand dune they were rapidly approaching. The buggy drove up, and then off the dune like a daredevil performing a car stunt. In midair, the buggy flipped leftwards before finally hitting the ground. The metal clanged upon landing and the robbers were jarred abruptly.   
  
Just as they abandoned the vehicle, several Tankmon surrounded them. The robbers surrendered without a second thought. "Smooth sailing, huh?" mocked one of the robbers sarcastically.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In a city elsewhere in the West Sector, the bait was still in Chatsuramon's trap. The Destiny Stone remained untouched for over a day. Everything was quiet until the second night came. During that time, Team Chatsuramon picked up four unidentified contacts on the Hagurumon's radar. As suspected, they were the Destiny Stone robbers. Their black helicopters surrounded the bait, and a work crew descended from above on ropes.   
  
Once the work crews began to fasten other ropes around the statue, Chatsuramon sprang the trap. He altered his voice to sound like it came from a microphone. "We have you surrounded! Surrender at once or we will open fire!"   
  
The workers looked around to see several Digimon and a few humans blocking the city streets. Several hidden snipers trained laser sights onto their bodies. The workers had no where to escape. The pilots suddenly detected missiles being locked onto each of their choppers. As a matter of discretion, the robbers decided it would be best to surrender. The pilots landed their choppers and nearby Digimon tied them up in rope. A pair of transports arrived on the scene, and the Digimon loaded the prisoners in.   
  
"Seems the trap worked after all!" remarked Brock as he watched the transport leave.   
  
A Hagurumon's voice chimed in over the radio: "We've got news from Vajramon's team! The Destiny Stone was stolen, but the robbers have been caught!"   
  
The news was bittersweet to Team Chatsuramon. "At least now, we can find out who is behind all of this!" remarked Ash.   
  
All of a sudden, a gigantic Digimon tore down a nearby building! Misty took a look at the Digimon. "AAAAAAH! What is that thing?"   
  
The attacking Digimon was massive, easily the height of a thirty story building. His skin was rubbery and had a light violet tone. His legs looked like several tentacles tied together by bands. He had vestigial dragon wings and a head resembling an octopus. The Digimon speared his massive trident into another building and completely demolished it. Pikachu was terrified by the massive size and grotesque appearance of the Digimon. Ash scanned the Digimon with his Pokedex.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Dragomon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Forbidden Trident   
  
Dragomon are known as the Undersea Masters. They are the controllers of the Dark Area's oceans. While most are evil, a few do have morals and are allied with Anubismon. Dragomon has great control over water and storms.   
===================================================   
  
"He's certainly one of the evil ones..." observed Ash.   
  
"We must stop him! He must have come for the Destiny Stone!" warned Chatsuramon. "Deva Hammer!" An ornate hammer arced into the air from Chatsuramon before it came crashing down onto Dragomon's head.   
  
Dragomon fumbled backwards and turned to Chatsuramon. "Forbidden Trident!" In retaliation, Dragomon flung his gigantic trident like a javelin, only to have his target dodge at the last minute.   
  
Dragomon raised his arms and the sky darkened further from the gathering clouds. A fierce storm started. Rain and torrential winds began to blow. A bolt of lightning struck a nearby building, deafening all listeners with its thunder. Everyone struggled to fight the immense winds. Rain water was thrown around everywhere, drenching all the members of Team Chatsuramon. They had no choice but to shout to ensure they were heard over the noise of the wind.   
  
Matt watched as Dragomon's form approached the Destiny Stone. "Mmmmff... Stop him! He's going for the Stone!"   
  
Lightning began crackling on Pikachu's cheeks. "Pikaaaaa...."   
  
"NO, PIKACHU!" interrupted Misty. "We're all wet! You'll shock us too!"   
  
"We gotta do something!" complained TK. The winds increased and TK slipped on a puddle of water. He lost his footing and tumbled along the ground.   
  
"TK!" cried Matt. He glanced to the right to see TK being dashed into a tree nearby.   
  
TK groggily got up, with his arms covering his face from the winds and rain. His body was covered in mud and water. "I'm okay! Worry about the Destiny Stone!"   
  
Through the water, Matt could see the shape of Dragomon ripping the Stone off of the ground. The Dragomon looked at his prize greedily before sinking into a Dark Area vortex. Instantly, the winds and rain died down. The clouds in the night sky cleared to reveal the stars and the moon above.   
  
Mimi's hair was mussed and her clothes completely drenched. "Ugggh! I'm soaking wet," complained Mimi. "He ruined my new dress!"   
  
The enemy had won the day through surprise. However, they had tipped their hand, and the heroes now knew about the involvement of hostile Dark Area Digimon. "I'm more worried about that Dragomon. Is he the mastermind of this whole plan, or does he take orders from someone else? "   
  
"Whichever it is, I now truly believe that our true enemy isn't the humans..." realized Chatsuramon. "It was never the humans, it was Dark Area Digimon right from the beginning!"   
  
"I wonder what they're trying to accomplish," pondered Brock.   
  
Ash became hopeful for the situation back in Silph Town. "Now that everyone knows this, we can stop the war back in Silph Town!"   
  
"The sooner, the better," observed Misty.   
  
Chatsuramon called for a return to Baihumon: "Our mission was a failure, there's nothing left for us here. Pack up all the equipment. We're going back to Baihumon's temple to make a report." 


	9. Rest and Relaxation

Kell Shock:   
Yep, the evil Digimon are exploiting humanity to do their dirty work.   
  
  
  
Luis:   
The problem right now is no one knows where the Stones are... They have to find them first before they can retrieve them. You can count on seeing some other trainers come to help the heroes in time.   
  
  
  
AnT:   
Remember the stills I've mentioned? They were from the Pokemon Safari site (it's down right now). That site had stills for some of the first ten or so Japanese episodes. From what I've seen, Ash's relationship with May was different from his relationship with Misty. If my memory is correct, there weren't any stills that implied a May/Ash argument. Ash/May do get along better than Ash/Misty like you suggested.   
  
I'm going to bring in May with these as a basis. Hopefully, they don't repeat the Misty/Ash relationship with May/Ash. I'm going to email some spoilers on those new episodes. There are quite a few, and I want to keep this response brief. As for Dragomon, his plans don't involve Kari directly. Also, War Greymon won't be appearing for a while.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 8: Rest and Relaxation   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Baihumon listened to the reports of Chatsuramon and Vajramon with great concern. "This is not good. Our world will be unbalanced unless we can get them back."   
  
"My Sovereign, I believe our prisoners know where they are," suggested Chatsuramon. "Let me interrogate them for this information!"   
  
"Very well... Things seem like they will improve between the East and South. I am now going to present this information to Zhuqiaomon. I will leave the prisoners to you, Chatsuramon, on one condition... You must cooperate with the humans in the interrogation. We can not afford to be divided at this time!"   
  
"Thank you, my Sovereign! They will regret the day they set foot in our world!"   
  
"The humans are coming tomorrow to claim the prisoners. They will give all of you transport back to Silph Town. Farewell, my friends, the fate of the Digital World is in your hands!"   
  
Baihumon's form vanished from the temple, leaving only the heroes and Baihumon's Digimon behind. The heroes spent the night at the temple as Baihumon's guests. They woke up early the next morning and waited for the authorities. After a few minutes, they could hear the swishing of whirling helicopter rotors. The heroes ran outside.   
  
Predictably, there were several helicopters hovering a few feet above the desert sands. Several police officers armed with assault rifles stood ready. Chatsuramon ran back into the temple, leading the police to the robbers' cells. The heroes watched as the officers led the robbers out of the temple. Each of them were handcuffed and filed into a transport chopper. Officer Jenny emerged from another chopper.   
  
She congratulated the heroes for a job well done: "I must hand it to you... Good work! You caught the thieves!"   
  
"Ah, it was nothing," said Ash modestly.   
  
Jenny led the heroes and Chatsuramon to a specially prepared chopper to bring them back to town. The trip lasted for several hours, and it was noon when they reached town.   
  
"So, where do we do now?" asked Tai.   
  
"Nothing at the moment," answered Chatsuramon. "We can't do anything further until we question the robbers. You have some free time for now, so use it as you like."   
  
"Oh, yeah! Lunch time!" cried Agumon.   
  
Togepi loved Agumon's idea. "Togepi! (Food!)"   
  
"Why don't we get some grub?" suggested Gomamon.   
  
The group walked down the streets until they came upon a mall. They hit the food court to have a hearty meal. Ash and Casey looked around the food court, and came upon a stall that served Chinese-style food. The stall itself was decorated with pictures of dragons and phoenixes, and its walls were coloured lucky red. An odd, egg-like creature owned the stall. He walked on a pair of dragon-like legs, and had an opening in the shell for its eyes. Casey recognized his partner as being a Tapirmon.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Digitamamon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Nightmare Syndromer   
  
Inside this Digimon's shell is a miniature, self-contained universe. Digitamamon are keen businessmen who specialize in the food industry.   
===================================================   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Tapirmon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Rookie   
Attacks: Waking Dream   
  
This Digimon purifies a person's dreams by eating the bad ones. He is often seen in the company of Digitamamon as an aide.   
===================================================   
  
Ash watched Digitamamon fry food in his wok. "I don't get it... How does he cook without having any hands?"   
  
Matt approached Ash and then turned to look at the stall's owner. "Digitamamon!"   
  
Ash turned around. "You know him?"   
  
Matt proceeded to tell Ash about his run in with Digitamamon. Matt had encountered Joe being forced to work in Digitamamon's diner on Server. Due to accidents, Matt was forced into working in the kitchen, but in actuality, the accidents were acts of sabotage by another Digimon, Demi Devimon. Digitamamon and Demi Devimon were in cahoots to keep both Digidestined away from the others. However, the others found the diner, and revealed the truth behind the accidents. Gabumon Digivolved to Were Garurumon for the first time and beat the enemy down.   
  
Ash and Casey shot accusing glares at Digitamamon. "Wait a minute, I'm a whole new mon today!" pleaded Digitamamon. "I'm not like that anymore!"   
  
Matt was unconvinced. "Yeah, right!" he mocked.   
  
"No, I really mean it! After the defeat of the Dark Masters, I knew I had to break out of my shell..." Digitamamon paused to think briefly. "Tell you what... Why don't you have a free meal on me as an apology?"   
  
Matt relented and accepted the apology. "Alright, as long as you are sincere about it..."   
  
"Don't worry, I am. So, what would you like to order?"   
  
Ash, Casey, and Matt looked over Digitamamon's menu. It was filled with various forms of Chinese style food, from fried noodles to rice. All three of them ordered some fried noodles and drinks. They returned to their tables and ate with their monster partners. After lunch, the heroes still had plenty of time to spend. Mimi, Sora, and Misty went shopping with Misty in the stores.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Mimi, Sora, and Misty found a store with female mannequins on display in the front wearing stylish beige suits for businesswomen. The store itself was filled with clothing for all types of activities made by famous Pokemon World designers. Mimi pulled a white summer dress with pink floral patterns from a rack. She loved the colour pink, and decided to check out the dress further.   
  
"That looks good on you, Mimi!" complimented Palmon.   
  
Mimi draped it over her body, and looked into a nearby mirror. "They've got great fashion sense in the Pokemon World!"   
  
Sora looked over a set of white sport T-shirt and shorts. "This design is nice. I'd like to get it, but I doubt they would accept Yen."   
  
"We use Pokeyen around here, but I don't have enough for clothes," admitted Misty. The girls sighed and returned the clothing to their racks.   
  
The girls left the store, and Sora gazed at a clock above an information tablet. "It's getting late... Let's look around for a few more minutes, then go to Oak's."   
  
They walked down the hallways of the mall, and looked in the various stores. Eventually, they found a store specializing in Pokemon care products owned by Silph. The store's sign read "Pokemart," and the interior looked like a supermarket. It was well lit, with polished white walls and products lined neatly on metal shelves. The chatter of several simultaneous conversations made it hard to distinguish any individual voice.   
  
"Let's go here," requested Misty. "I'd like to pick up some medicine."   
  
The store looked quite busy with all the trainers browsing the shelves for products. One of the shoppers happened to be Brock. He was carrying a red basket filled with a few unidentified bottles. He was reading the label of a spray bottle, and unaware of the girls. He decided to buy the bottle, and placed it into his basket. After paying at the counter, he turned to leave and spotted the girls. He was instantly enamoured with the two Digidestined girls and his face turned beet red.   
  
Brock put his right arm around Mimi, and his left around Sora. "Hey, girls!" Brock turned to Sora. "Wow, you're quite muscular! You must really be athletic. Just so you know, I'm athletic too!"   
  
Misty grabbed Brock's ear and yanked him away. "We're going back to the lab soon. Since you're so 'athletic,' why don't you run back and tell everyone?"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
An hour later, everyone returned to Oak's lab for the day. Gennai was already there, waiting to greet the heroes. "Hello, my friends, I trust you all had a good day?"   
  
"Gennai!"   
  
Ash hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, we couldn't stop the robbers from getting the Destiny Stone..."   
  
"I already know. I now you guys are feeling down, so I'm here to the bearer of good news. Baihumon has successfully talked Zhuqiaomon into stopping his attack against Silph Town!"   
  
Tracey was surprised. "Really?"   
  
"Pika! (Awesome!)"   
  
For Gabumon, the feeling was mutual. "Wow, that's great!"   
  
"It wasn't easy, but we finally got him to stop. However, the authorities recommend that you don't go out to the north for a while. There were many buildings damaged in the fighting that could collapse at any moment. Until they take care of things, it's very dangerous there."   
  
"Looks like we have to stay here then," observed Brock.   
  
"There's a problem..." warned Oak. "My lab can only hold Tracy and myself."   
  
"Don't worry, I've talked to the authorities, and they have already taken care of this. They have rented several hotel rooms for everyone to stay, all expenses paid."   
  
Mimi was elated. "Cool! I love hotels! It's like a vacation!"   
  
"So, which hotel are we staying in?" asked Tai.   
  
"It's the New World Hotel and Casino. It's near the gates that brought the Pokemon trainers here in the first place."   
  
Casey remembered how glitzy that hotel was. "Wow! That place?"   
  
"Yep, enjoy your stay!"   
  
The heroes found their way to the hotel. It was a glamorous building with flashing lights that looked like it came from Las Vegas. The building looked posh, extravagant, and like the perfect tourist trap. The walls were made of smooth, clean marble. It was plain to see that there were many tourists there, filling the air with happy chatter. Other tourists were in the casino to the right of the entrance, and having a merry time gambling the night away.   
  
In the back, the heroes could see a large dining room covered with a dark red carpet. The food looked delicious, and their mouths watered. "Mmmm, I'm starving..." mumbled Ash.   
  
Brock approached the clerk at the front desk. He asked the clerk about any special reservations made by the city for his friends. The clerk looked him over, and went back to check with his boss. When the clerk returned, he answered in the affirmative. The clerk gave each of the heroes a special VIP card and the key for each of their rooms. With the minor details taken care of, the heroes went to the restaurant for dinner.   
  
Joe noticed Ash pigging out his food. "You know, you shouldn't go crazy on the food like that..."   
  
Beside Joe, Misty looked up from her meal. "He's right, you might choke on something!"   
  
"Mmmm... This stuff's too good, and I'm hungry!" Ash swallowed a meatball, however, he didn't chew as well as he should have. He got up abruptly and struggled desperately to clear his esophagus.   
  
"Pikapi, pika? (Ash, are you okay?)" Pikachu looked on with growing concern, but unsure of what to do.   
  
Misty was frightened, but like Pikachu, she was unsure of how to help Ash. Joe got up to administer the Heimlich manoeuvre on Ash. "Give me some room!" Joe began to thrust his fist into Ash's upper abdomen.   
  
After a few attempts, Joe forced Ash into regurgitating the meatball. "Are you okay, Ash?"   
  
Ash coughed to clear his throat. "I think I'm fine now." Ash coughed twice again. "Thanks, Joe!"   
  
"No problem, but please chew your food well before you swallow..."   
  
Everyone gave a sigh of relief, especially Misty. The heroes continued eating their main course and dessert time came. For dessert, the heroes ate a sweet dish of chocolate cake. The meal passed by without further incident and it was time to head to the rooms. Ash walked down the hall, and looked at the numbers of each of the doors. He found room 250, and went in.   
  
"Pika, Pika! (Nice room!)"   
  
"It's nice, ain't it, Pikachu? Let's call Whitney. We haven't been to her ranch for days, so she must be worried about us." Ash took the videophone and called up Whitney's ranch. "Hi, Whitney!"   
  
Whitney's face appeared on the screen and she looked at Ash with relief. "Ash, I'm glad you're alright! Where have you been? There was a story in the news about this big war between Digimon and Silph Town."   
  
"We were trying to defend the city. The Sovereign of the South started this war, blaming humans for thefts of these holy objects called the 'Destiny Stones.'"   
  
"Really?"   
  
"Pika Pika! (That's right!)"   
  
"Yeah, these robbers were stealing Destiny Stones and he blamed humans for the crime. We were called in to help defend the last Stones from theft. The robbers managed to get the Stones away from us, but we still caught'em."   
  
"Pika Pika! (We got'em good!)"   
  
"Wow, you guys had quite the adventure!" Whitney turned to her TV. "They're talking about you now!"   
  
"Wow, hear that Pikachu? We're famous! Is Ritchie and Gary alright?"   
  
"They're staying here at the ranch until everything blows over. We can't enter the city until the crews clean up the mess."   
  
"I see... Gennai told me about it, so we'll be staying at the New World Hotel for a while."   
  
"You're staying THERE? You're so lucky! I wish I was there!"   
  
"Pika pika pikachu! (Yeah, the food is great!)"   
  
"I know, I wish you were here too... Anyways, I need some rest so tell Gary and Ritchie I am fine."   
  
"Sure. Good night, Ash!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Two days passed by. The interrogation was not going very well for Chatsuramon and the police. A male officer shoved one of the robbers into a chair, and ordered him the talk. The robber was a man in his late twenties with a medium build and brown hair. He refused to divulge any information. He kept up his smug, arrogant demeanour, which annoyed the police. Officer Jenny came into the room with some papers containing a background check. By using the robbers face, and cross-referencing it with other pictures in a database, they discovered the group he worked for.   
  
The male officer looked over the information and was appalled. "You guys make me sick!"   
  
The information showed that the robbers were actually part of a group called the Kanto Nationalists. They were remnants of an iron-fisted regime that once controlled Kanto, and conquered territories through fear and intimidation. Many people died in a massive war akin to the Real World's World War Two, to overthrow the regime. Among the notable veterans of the war was one of the Gym leaders that Ash had defeated in the past; Lt. Surge.   
  
Today, the Kanto Nationalists were nothing but a group of terrorists. The Kanto Nationalists had a reputation for being extremely violent. They perpetrated several violent attacks to secure supplies, and to further their evil goals. They hoped to restore their former government back to power. Their collusion with Digimon made them all the more dangerous. The people of Silph Town saw firsthand how powerful, and devastating Digimon could be.   
  
Chatsuramon got into the face of the terrorist, and began to lick it, as though trying to taste him. "Mmmmm, delicious! I haven't eaten in a long time..." Chatsuramon approached the terrorist menacingly.   
  
Jenny was appalled. "NO!"   
  
The man was very unnerved, struggling in vain to conceal his fear. He jumped off his chair, knocking it onto the ground. "Get away from me!"   
  
Chatsuramon enjoyed seeing the fear in his eyes. "Yes, that's it; struggle all you want! Humans always taste better when spiced with fear!" Chatsuramon leapt on the terrorist, and tackled him to the ground. A few drops of his saliva dripped onto the man's face.   
  
The terrorist cracked and panic took control. The police had to restrain both the man, and Chatsuramon for everyone's safety. While the man only had the strength of a normal human, Chatsuramon was a Digimon. He was stronger than a normal human. Several other police officers rushed into the room to aid their comrades in restraining Chatsuramon. The officers piled on top of Chatsuramon and pinned him to the ground.   
  
Chatsuramon was indignant. "LET ME GO! THE SOVEREIGN WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS!"   
  
That incident ended the interrogation sessions for the day. The other terrorists watched as their comrade was brought back and dumped inside the cell. The terrorist's complexion was as white as snow, as though he had experienced a terrifying event. The other terrorists crowded around their comrade, and wondered what happened. There were several loud screams coming from the nearby interrogation room.   
  
"What the hell was that?" asked one of the terrorists. "I hear screaming and then all these cops come busting into the room..."   
  
"You alright, Nick? What happened in there?" asked another terrorist.   
  
"That thing tried to eat me!" said Nick, struggling to control himself. "If I go back there, I'm a goner! I was lucky to make it out alive!"   
  
"C'mon man, we're soldiers! We are not afraid of anything! Repeat after me; I am not afraid of anything!"   
  
Nick did as he comrade demanded. After repeating the phrase a few times, Nick began to calm down. Soon the day ended, and without further incident. The next day, Nick was brought back to the interrogation room. Naturally, he was very unwilling to go back and be forced to face Chatsuramon. The police had to gang up on him and forcibly take him to the room.   
  
Two hours passed by. The garbled sound of an argument could be heard in the interrogation room. "BOOM!" Suddenly, an explosion blew the door off its hinges! The terrorists turned to look at the source of the commotion.   
  
Several officers rushed to the room armed with handguns. "Howl of the Heavens!" A shockwave of sound flattened them before they could react.   
  
The fight burst out of the room, and several officers dove for cover behind anything they could find. The terrorists watched as Chatsuramon ran amok, attacking everyone he saw. A missed Howl of the Heavens flew into the cellblock, trampling everything in its path. The terrorists hit the ground to brace themselves for the shockwave. The cell bars were ripped in half, leaving openings for the men to escape. Chatsuramon's frenzy was their ticket to freedom.   
  
"The bars are broken! We're free!"   
  
"Get Nick, then get the hell out of here!"   
  
The terrorists scrambled out of their cells, and found Nick dazed and on the ground in the damaged interrogation room. Realizing Chatsuramon's strength, the terrorists looked around to make sure he was far away. They helped Nick up, and made a run for it. Eventually, they reached the parking lot and found several parked police cruisers. The terrorists smashed the cars' windows and hotwired the vehicles. They didn't look back as they sped away to safety. Several minutes passed by before the fighting finally stopped, and the terrorists were long gone.   
  
Jenny and Chatsuramon walked around the station, looking over the damage. "This plan is very unorthodox, Chatsuramon, I hope it works... We're taking a very big risk letting those men escape!"   
  
Chatsuramon was confident. "My plan's working perfectly! Our mole is inside their ranks, and he will tell us everything we need to know. With that information, we will crush the enemies of the Digital World!"   
  
"I guess all we have to do is wait..."   
  
"...That's right, they will act up sooner or later." Chatsuramon looked at the holes ruptured in the station's walls, and then turned back to Jenny. "I am returning to my Sovereign. Vajramon and his servants will take over from here. You'll recognize him easily; he looks like a bull with a human torso. Farewell."   
  
"Goodbye," said Jenny, as she watched Chatsuramon vanish into thin air.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the moonlit forests of File Island, the owls were hooting and crickets were chirping. Five looters were there, in black uniforms bearing the mark of a red "R." The looters were under a contract by the emissaries of their mysterious client. The looters would be well rewarded for completion of their job; acquiring the statues of certain Digimon. They made their way through the mass of trees until they found their mark, a ziggurat hidden amidst the foliage. It was an ancient temple made of brown stone with a spiritual aura.   
  
"I wonder what they want with these statues," pondered one of the looters.   
  
The second looter passed on what he remembered: "I remember him saying that these statues sealed away the most powerful Digimon in the world. Our boss would love to have control of one of these guys! We ought to get some just for the boss!"   
  
The third chimed in: "Don't forget, we're here to get statues for our client. We also have to deny the statues from those kids. Make sure we've taken care of this first, we can get some for ourselves later!"   
  
The looters snuck into the temple and through the help of a map, they navigated the twisting labyrinth within. They eventually came upon a room with a countless number of small statues in display cases. The room looked like a jewellery store, only without the sales staff. The statues glistened in the torch light, illuminating the room with a medley of different colours. The looters did not recognize any of the Digimon depicted by each statue.   
  
One looter found some of their targets in a case to the right of the entrance. "Wow! These things must be worth a fortune!" The looter glanced over the display case from left to right.   
  
The first statue was made of orange topaz. The statue itself looked like a half-human, half-dragon hybrid clad in heavy armour. On its hands were sharp hand claws that looked capable of tearing through even steel. The second statue was made of blue sapphire. It resembled a wolf encased in metal armour, with missile packs grafted onto its shoulders. Two blade-like structures formed the Digimon's wings, and the third formed its tail.   
  
The third statue was made entirely of crimson ruby. It was a phoenix-like bird, and its plumage suggested a fiery origin. There was a mystical ring wrapped around this phoenix's right leg. The bird reminded the looter of the Legendary Birds Moltres and Ho-oh. The fourth statue was of a light purple amethyst. It was a beetle-like insect that looked vicious and ugly. It stood on its two hind legs, while its other two pairs of legs were used more like hands and arms. The insect statue had its shell opened to reveal a pair of wings like those of a fly.   
  
The fifth was made of verdant emerald. This statue was of a beautiful fairy-like Digimon, and was far more humanoid than the previous statues. Covering her eyes was a mitre shaped like a rose. The fairy wore a battle leotard and boots. Thorny vines wrapped around her arms and she held one like a rapier and another like a whip. The sixth was made of icy blue aquamarine. This statue resembled a massive humanoid walrus with maces slung on its back. This berserker was covered in fur and light armour. He looked like a mighty warrior from Norse myths.   
  
The seventh was not made of gemstone, but gold. This statue also had a very humanoid shape, resembling a majestic, ten-winged angel in armour. Holy markings decorated his armour. The most prominent marking was the one depicting the sun rising over a mountain. The final statue was made of pink metal, but the looter didn't recognize what the metal was. The eighth statue looked like the seventh, except that it was female. The angel carried a spear in its hand and looked ready for battle against the forces of evil.   
  
The other looters looked around for the other statue they were sent to find. They found another case next to the first. In this case were a series of demonic statues made of dark amethyst, onyx, and ebony. One of the looters pulled out a glasscutter and created a rectangular hole above the statues. The looter reached in, and with great carefully replaced each statue with a weight.   
  
As the looter stuffed the demonic statues into a sack, he admired his work. "Piece of cake!"   
  
Seconds later, an alarm klaxon began blaring. "The alarm!"   
  
A voice came from behind: "Stop, thief!"   
  
The looters turned to face a centaur-like Digimon, Centarumon. "Shit, they're onto us! Let's get out of here!"   
  
The looters ran back into the maze, with Centarumon in hot pursuit. Centarumon fired his Solar Ray cannon, missing the looters and hitting a wall with a boom. The robbers turned left at a corner and fled down a long, narrow hallway. The looters ran for dear life and glanced backwards to see Centarumon turning the corner. He began to gain on them, using the power of his horse-like body to his advantage.   
  
One of the looters in the rear reached into his pocket. He pulled out a grenade and ripped off the pin. "Don't look back!" The looter counted to two, and blindly released the grenade.   
  
A bright flash blinded Centarumon, and stopped him in his tracks. "Argggh!" An irritating ringing followed this flash. The light and ringing were so strong that he was forced to shield his eyes and ears. When he recovered he could not find any traces of the enemy. 


	10. The Mole

AnT:   
I am breaking from continuity with respect to that, and the Digidestined never gave up their Crest power. I am reasoning that it was the Dark Masters and Apocalymon sealing the Sovereigns away. Upon their deaths, the seals deteriorated, and the Sovereigns became free on their own.   
  
  
  
Luis:   
About the statues: Here's a hint, what do War Greymon, Metal Garurumon, Daemon, Malo Myotismon, and Imperial Dramon all have in common? If you can answer this, you will know what the statues represent... Or you can just read this chapter.   
  
About the relationship of each evil group: It's kind of a moot point later on in this chapter.   
  
About the Legendaries: Some of those Pokemon are out of the question due to plot reasons. As for the others, I'd like to keep the struggle mostly among humans and their monster partners. However, they will be mentioned in passing in this chapter.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 9: The Mole   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In Oak's lab, Gennai spoke to Izzy, Tracey and Oak and they were all stunned. "More thefts?"   
  
"It's bad enough the Kanto Nationalists got away... Now we have more on our plate to worry about," commented Izzy.   
  
"Yeah... And this time the threat is more obvious. Those statues were the seal that prevented Digimon from accessing their Mega forms."   
  
"You don't think they know about that do you?" asked Tracey.   
  
"We have assumed the worse and that they knew this from the start. As a defence, the Sovereigns are releasing the Digidestined's Megas to combat the threat. I wouldn't be surprised if denying us of Megas was one of their goals."   
  
"Who are these thieves?" asked Oak.   
  
Gennai described the uniforms of the robbers. Each robber was in loose fitting black uniforms. On each of their uniforms was the symbol of the crimson "R."   
  
Tracey and Oak immediately recognized the robbers: "Team Rocket!"   
  
"Could they be working for the enemy too?" asked Tracey.   
  
Izzy brought up an interesting point: "Now that I think about it, it shouldn't be so surprising. When we caught the Kanto Nationalists, it's possible we threw a wrench into the enemy's plan. So, they get new guys to do their dirty work."   
  
"Izzy is right, it's quite probable things worked out like that. We've got another problem now too, you know how Anubismon's servants take away the dead? I was talking with Anubismon, and he said that some dead from Zhuqiaomon's attack have not been accounted for."   
  
Everyone was surprised. "What?"   
  
"We have no idea where these bodies went. Our only explanation is that someone took them away before Anubismon's followers could get to the scene."   
  
Izzy pondered the situation. "Stolen Destiny Stones... statues looted from a temple... and now missing bodies... Why does it have to be those things? There has to be a connection."   
  
"Whatever it is, I don't like the sound of it," said Tracey.   
  
Everyone pondered what the connection might be. Gennai broke the silence: "I don't think we will know until the enemy makes their move. Anyways, Izzy, I need to have a chat with you alone. I have a task that needs your talents. Professor, may we talk in your bedroom?"   
  
Oak gave his permission and the two went to the bedroom. Gennai closed the door behind him and the two talked. "A spy?" asked Izzy incredulously.   
  
"Yes, everything that happened at the police station wasn't real. It was all an elaborate trick to sneak someone into the enemy's ranks."   
  
"Who's the spy, and why do you need me?"   
  
"Our mole is named Makuramon. I'd like you to help us monitor his progress." Gennai waved his hand and loaded a new program into Izzy's laptop. "Here is a program that will help greatly. It allows you to speak to him, and also see and hear everything he can."   
  
Izzy tested the program. On the screen, a picture of an unknown campsite appeared. Under an elevated dune buggy was a mechanic lying on a sliding board. Several splotches of black oil marked his khaki overalls. The mechanic was twisting a bolt into place with the steel wrench in his hands. The mechanic slid out and to retrieve some more bolts.   
  
"Prodigious!"   
  
"Oh, before I go, keep this a secret from the others. It's better that fewer people know so as to keep his cover intact."   
  
"Okay, Gennai, my lips are sealed."   
  
Gennai thanked Izzy, and vanished in a burst of rainbow-coloured light.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
For a week, the police searched unsuccessfully for the members of the fugitive Kanto Nationalists. As part of the act, Baihumon had issued an apology, and called Chatsuramon in for reprimanding and punishment. Chatsuramon was subsequently replaced with Vajramon. Baihumon had also committed some workers to help repair the damages caused by Chatsuramon. These Digimon were the familiar and ubiquitous Hagurumon.   
  
With great speed and efficiency, the Hagurumon workers transported bags of cement to the site of the damaged station. On top of a cement mixer, a Hagurumon poured the cement powder inside, along with some water. The barrel of the mixer turned and turned, blending the water and powder into a thick grey muck. The Hagurumon took the wet cement to a second Hagurumon, who was cementing several bricks into a broken wall.   
  
The heroes heard about this event, and were quite concerned about the officers' welfare. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. The only thing that suffered severe harm was the police station itself. Today, Professor Oak, Izzy and Tentomon were getting ready to co-host Oak's radio show. In the Pokemon World, Oak hosted a radio show on all things Pokemon. The following weeklong series would be a special dedicated to Digimon exclusively.   
  
A beautiful red haired woman in her late twenties greeted the Professor. She looked distinguished and intelligent wearing her pair of glasses. She was wearing a green blouse and a black skirt. In her hands was a clipboard with a schedule. This woman was Mary herself, one of the hosts of the show. She met Oak and the two hosts shook hands.   
  
"Hi, Professor!"   
  
"Hi, Mary! You here early..."   
  
"I came early to have a look at things. The whole north side of town was destroyed and barred off. I heard talk of a war between the city and Digimon."   
  
"Yeah, it was pretty hot around here. One of the Sovereigns of the Digital World attacked as retribution for the thefts of Destiny Stones."   
  
"All this just for stones?"   
  
"Excuse me, I'm Izzy Izumi... The Destiny Stones aren't just any old stones. They are sacred artefacts that maintain the balance of the Digital World. Their thefts caused a lot of damage."   
  
"You seem like you know what's going on... Oh, where are my manners?" apologized Mary. "I'm Mary. You seem to know a lot about it."   
  
"I helped to catch the thieves responsible for the thefts."   
  
A radio announcer's table was being set up on the grassy front lawn of Oak's lab. On the table was a set of equipment, headsets, and microphones for transported the speakers' voices over the airwaves. There was a TV set with a large screen big enough for the entire audience to see. Several chairs were set up before the table for the audience. People began to take seats and gossiped on Digimon. They wondered what Oak would tell them.   
  
The show began. "Good afternoon, everybody! This is DJ Mary..."   
  
"...and Professor Samuel Oak, on Professor Oak's Pokemon Show!"   
  
"Today, we are broadcasting live from the Digital World! This week, we're running the first of our exclusive five part series on the Digital World and the Digimon. Today, we have a pair of special guests joining us. They are Izzy Izumi and his Digimon partner, Tentomon."   
  
"Hi, everybody!"   
  
Professor Oak began lecturing about Digimon. "Most Digimon I've encountered came in one of the following levels, from weakest to strongest, they are Rookie, Champion, and Ultimate. It seems that Rookies, and especially Champions are the most common Digimon you'll see."   
  
Izzy continued: "There are also Fresh and In-Training Digimon, who are basically babies, but you probably won't see many of them. The last and most powerful level of all is Mega. If you ever get on a Mega's bad side, consider yourself lucky if you live to tell the tale."   
  
The program continued, and Oak hit a few buttons on his remote control. The TV set turned on and a picture of a large orange dinosaur appeared on the screen. It had blue stripes on its legs and belly. Its head was protected by a silver metallic helmet with horns its sides and nose. The helmet also had holes for the creature's eyes. Tubes ran into the metal plate on its chest. A fearsome metal claw replaced its left arm. A pair of violet frayed wings was on the back of this Digimon. Below the picture were the words "Metal Greymon."   
  
"Metal Greymon is a Digimon of the Ultimate level. As you can see there are metallic parts grafted to his body. He is half machine and half dinosaur. His claw is retractable and can shoot out to attack an enemy. The metal plate on his chest is actually a cover for a pair of missile launchers grafted into his chest."   
  
The lecture continued and the question and answer period started. "Who has questions?" asked Mary.   
  
Mary called a girl in the middle of the audience. "Izzy, how do you become a Digidestined, and what's it like being a Digidestined?"   
  
"Well, to become a Digidestined, you must be selected for this job by 'higher powers.' Being a Digidestined has its perks, namely, friendship with a Digimon. However, it also comes with great responsibility, because we have to fight to defend the Digital World from harm. Right now, a few bad people are acting up so the Digidestined have to come in and stop them."   
  
Mary called out a young boy in the front row. "This question is for Professor Oak. How many Digimon species are there?"   
  
"Good question. Honestly, I don't really know. I estimate that I've seen or heard about at least fifty or sixty different species of Digimon personally. Back home, people are still discovering new, unseen species of Pokemon. Since we're newcomers to the Digital World, there would have to be many, many more Digimon I have never seen personally."   
  
After a few more questions, the radio show was over. Izzy, Oak, and Tentomon stayed a bit longer to answer some further questions, before closing up for the day. The trio returned back to their respective homes to have a break. In his room, Izzy started his laptop computer and checked his e-mail. There were no new messages, so Izzy decided to relax and play a computer game. As soon as his game ended, the phone rang.   
  
An image of a bull-like Digimon appeared on the screen. Izzy instantly recognized him as Vajramon. "Hello, Vajramon, did Makuramon report anything new?"   
  
"Yes, the Kanto Nationalists are attending a meeting tomorrow night. From what Makuramon says, everyone's going to be there. This is our chance to nail all of them at once! Let everyone know, so they can prepare an ambush."   
  
"Prodigious! They won't know what hit'em... I'll tell them right away!"   
  
  
  
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Meanwhile, a greedy businessman entered his office and closed the door behind him. When he turned his lights on, it revealed the man's orange designer business suit. On his left was a shelf filled with books on Pokemon and on business. On his right were a trio of metallic filing cabinets. Within these cabinets rested several financial reports dealing with the businessman's holdings. If the law found those documents, he would be deep trouble.   
  
At the rear of the room was a wooden desk. This desk had a nice, glossy finish and glistened in the light. His chair was an ergonomic, adjustable green office chair with wheels. He sat on his chair and his pet, a cat Pokemon called Persian, jumped onto his lap. The man stroked his cat, making him purr contently. The cat looked up, seemingly aware of something hiding within the shadows.   
  
The man called to the shadows: "I know you are there, Vilemon. What do you want?"   
  
From the shadows emerged a small, grotesque, furry gremlin. "Well Giovanni, I have brought you some reading material. However, it is written in an older form of Digital World syllabary. We will translate the curse to English with the help of these scrolls."   
  
In Vilemon's hands were a trio of scrolls. Giovanni and Vilemon each opened one of Vilemon's scrolls. These scrolls had the same list of syllabary characters. Beside each character was a grouping of letters indicating the English equivalent. Vilemon opened the remaining scroll on Giovanni's desk. It was filled with characters written in a poetic form, but it looked like gibberish to Giovanni. Once they began translating, Giovanni realized the writing was just English words with a different "alphabet."   
  
The duo worked on the translation until Giovanni got stuck. "Help me with this line, Vilemon. So far I have translated 'One from the seekers of.' I can't make out the last few words."   
  
Vilemon looked at the problematic line. "Ah, I see the problem... That's an 'e' sound. The last part is 'evil's might.'   
  
Giovanni repeated the line correctly: "So its says, 'One from the seekers of evil's might?'"   
  
"Yep."   
  
Giovanni continued until another line stumped him: "How about this word? It's before 'of Hostility.'"   
  
Vilemon scrutinized the word and cross-referenced the symbols with his table. "Hmm, the word seems to be 'Rift.'"   
  
"The Rift of Hostility..." mumbled Giovanni in contemplation.   
  
After two hours, it was Vilemon's turn to be stumped. "Help me here, right now, I've got 'The Mask of Hypocrisy: One tells a.'"   
  
Giovanni examined the word using the tables. "It looks like 'lie' to me."   
  
Vilemon continued translating. "...And this part, 'to show one?'"   
  
"Hmm... looks like 'face...'"   
  
Vilemon put the information together and obtained the phrase: "The Mask of Hypocrisy: One tells a lie to your lover; to show one face, and hide the other." They continued to translate until they created a complete English translation of the entire curse. Giovanni opened his desk drawer, tucked the translation safely inside, and locked it up until needed. Vilemon's job was done, and thus he vanished into thin air.   
  
  
  
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It was an hour before the big meeting between the Kanto Nationalists and their allies. The heroes and police were tense, and knew that a major battle would break out against the fugitives. The good guys had secretly stationed in the areas near the Wayfarer's Paradise Hotel. This hotel was a few blocks west of the New World Hotel where the heroes were staying.   
  
The south entrance lead directly onto the street. It was a busy night, and several people were coming and going through the entrance. The men wore fashionable suits, and the women wore elegant dresses and jewellery. A small grey van pulled up on the side of the street the doorway. Its windows were tinted black, but if someone looked closely, they could make out the shapes of three heads. The window came down and Matt looked outside.   
  
"Everything seems quiet..." he mumbled.   
  
"You'll get action soon enough..." assured the driver, a cop in disguise.   
  
The north entrance led to a large parking lot filled with all kinds of motor vehicles. The valets, men in regal red uniforms, were busy parking the cars of their wealthy clients. To the north of the hotel was a park. It was dark and a very creepy place to be in at night. Trees dotted the park in a random manner. Near the centre of the park was a small brick storage shed with a pointed roof. To the east and a bit north was a row of bushes that made an excellent hiding spot. To the west of the shed was a children's playground designed to be like a small fort and built over a sandbox.   
  
Ash took a peek at the parking lot from above the crest of the roof. "Quiet, right Pikachu?"   
  
Pikachu took Ash's binoculars and looked. "Pika... (Yeah...)"   
  
Ash clicked his radio on. "How is everybody?"   
  
Brock parted the bushes and peeked through his binoculars. "Nope, nothing so far."   
  
Joe, Sora, and Kari peeked from their hiding spots in the playground. Each of them responded in the negative. At that moment, Pikachu spotted a black limousine approaching the hotel from the west. Its windows were tinted and he couldn't make out who was inside. For some reason, Pikachu felt unpleasant vibes from the limo.   
  
"Pika Pika Pikachu! (I see something!)"   
  
Ash took a look through the binoculars and spotted the limo pulling into the parking lot. "Hey Izzy, there's a limo coming in. Check it out."   
  
In the Wayfarer's Paradise parking lot, the limo stopped in front of the north entrance. The door opened and a tanned man in an orange business suit emerged. He was carrying a briefcase in his left hand and what looked like a cat in the other. Unknown to this man, he was being watched from behind by people in a black van and tinted windows. In this van was a black curtain concealing the surveillance team working in the back.   
  
In the driver's seat sat a black-haired man in sunglasses. The driver continued to watched the man. "Well, well, well... Who do we have here? Guess who just showed up?"   
  
Jenny peeked through the curtain. "Hey, that's Giovanni, head of Team Rocket! We've been trying to nail this guy for years!"   
  
The police chief looked through the curtain. "It must be a really important meeting for him to come in person."   
  
Tai peeked out. "Agumon, it looks things will get hot soon."   
  
"Hey, if anyone knows about being hot, it's me!" joked Agumon.   
  
Izzy watched as Makuramon's car approached the hotel. "Makuramon's coming too."   
  
"Alright everybody, it looks like the meeting is about to start. Look sharp!"   
  
  
  
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In the lobby, Giovanni and his underlings approached the clerk and inquired about meeting room 101. The clerk gave him directions, and they followed them to a brown-haired thug in a grey suit and sunglasses. The thug showed Team Rocket in. A central table dominated the room itself with enough seats for seven people at each side. At the centre on the wall was a screen for displaying slides from a projector. Team Rocket filled the left side of the table. It wasn't long before the other party, the Kanto Nationalists, came in and seated on the right.   
  
"So these are the 'other guys?'" gossiped a Rocket grunt.   
  
The terrorists broke into conversation as well. "Team Rocket?"   
  
The terrorist leader was unsure of Team Rocket's involvement. "Those Digimon better know what they're doing."   
  
Vilemon and Phantomon materialized in a nimbus of violet light and Phantomon began the meeting: "Greetings, Kanto Nationalists and Team Rocket. I trust you're acquainted with each other? The first topic is a progress report from each party. We shall begin with Team Rocket."   
  
Giovanni opened his briefcase and pulled out a series of photos and the translation of the curse. "Team Rocket has secured the statues of Mega Digimon as requested. We have also successfully translated the Curse of the Eight Dooms to English."   
  
Giovanni's Persian looked at the Kanto Nationalist Nick, and began to growl. Giovanni chastised Persian for his interruption.   
  
Phantomon continued: "Impressive, and the Kanto Nationalists?"   
  
The Nationalist leader got up and pulled out a series of photos as well. "Ahem, we have secured the eight Destiny Stones safely in our camp. We are ready for the next phase."   
  
Vilemon gave the progress report for the evil Digimon. "We have acquired a great amount of human and Pokemon data from those killed in the South Sector's attack. We have enough to proceed to phase two."   
  
Phantomon continued: "Alright then, everyone shall proceed to phase two of the plan. Our master is imprisoned in the Dark Area, and needs us to complete his body to manifest his full power. Our next step is obvious, we must free him."   
  
"What about his body?" asked a Rocket grunt.   
  
Persian growled and leapt out of Giovanni's arms. He landed in front of Nick and shocked the terrorist. Giovanni quickly grabbed his cat and pulled him away.   
  
The terrorist leader was furious. "Dammit, get that fur ball under control before I dropkick him out of the room!"   
  
Giovanni was pissed. "I'd watch your tone if I was you! Don't you dare threaten my Persian!"   
  
"Well then, stop me, if you can..."   
  
Everyone's hands were clutched around a Pokeball. They were ready to activate them at a moment's notice. The two sides glared at each other with intense hostility. Before the situation could disintegrate, Phantomon slammed his scythe into the table. "That's enough!" he cried. "We must work together if we are to succeed with phase three!"   
  
The terrorist leader relented. "Just keep that cat under control. My patience is wearing thin..."   
  
Once things settled, Vilemon continued: "Before I was rudely interrupted... The data we collected will make up his body. Giovanni will read the curse in front of my master's prison and he will be free."   
  
"We will take care of this phase," said Phantomon. "Everyone else only needs to bring the items they collected. They are the Destiny Stones, the Mega statues, the translation of the Curse of the Eight Dooms, and the data."   
  
Vilemon pulled out a trio of maps unrolled them on the table. The first map was labelled "Real World," the second was labelled "Digital World," and the final one was "Pokemon World."   
  
"Our third phase involves building a power base in one of the three known worlds. Which one should we focus on first? Any suggestions? Let's hear everyone's opinions."   
  
"How great is the military power of each world? How about the Real World?" asked the terrorist leader.   
  
"The Real World doesn't have any Pokemon or Digimon in it. All we have to worry about is their military powers, like the USA. They don't have anything like Pokemon or Digimon to counter us. All they can field are mere war machines, hardly a match for us..."   
  
"The Digital World is certainly out of the question," said Giovanni. "With the Sovereigns and those meddling kids around, we won't get much done. They have already interfered with our plans far too much."   
  
Phantomon suggested invading the Pokemon World first. "Pokemon by themselves lack the organisation and strength needed to combat us. There are no known beings there capable of wielding holy-aligned powers to stop the Powers of Darkness. Also, this world's humans are just as corruptible as Real World humans."   
  
"The Legendary Pokemon might rise up against us once we reveal our threat. There's also a certain Psychic Pokemon there that has a bone to pick with me."   
  
"But has he ever faced the Powers of Darkness before?" asked Vilemon. "...And didn't you say Psychics were vulnerable to dark powers? After we set our plan into motion, no Psychic will be able to stand up to us anyways."   
  
The groups pondered the risks and rewards for going after each world. The Real World was the easiest, with no beings directly able to counter Digimon and Pokemon. However, their army would add little to their strength. The Digital World offered the greatest reward once it was conquered. The hard part was conquering the world successfully, especially with so many powerful foes entrenched there. The Pokemon World was a middle-of-the-road conquest, but the Legendaries posed a problem.   
  
The groups were forced to think hard about which world was the best to begin with. There were many tradeoffs and factors to consider. Persian grew restless and began to act up again and leapt onto Nick's chest. He freaked out and fell onto the ground. Persian began scratching his fallen foe as Nick struggled to get the mad cat off him. The other terrorists surrounded Persian and yanked him off their comrade.   
  
They looked at where Nick should be, expecting to see him scratched up. However, that wasn't the case... Where Nick should have been was a short brown monkey. The monkey wore what looked like a purple fez with a Chinese-like character on it. He was clad in silver armour with gold trimmings. With one look at his face, everyone knew he was a mole. Makuramon's face turned to a fearful expression that announced his guilt.   
  
"Spy! Get him!"   
  
Makuramon took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs: "MAKAAAAAAAA!"   
  
Everyone instantly covered his or her ears. "Oh, shit! What the hell was that?".   
  
"Primal Orb!" Makuramon lobbed a red-hot orb into the door, tearing it down. He promptly made a run for it.   
  
"Forget him! Let's get the hell out of here!"   
  
Everyone promptly made a run for his or her cars.   
  
"Don't let them get away!" cried Izzy over the radio.   
  
In the lobby, tourists gasped as Makuramon suddenly ran to the south entrance. Team Rocket and the Nationalists reached the lobby to find a trio of Pokemon trainers blocking the doorways. The three trainers were Ash, Misty and Brock. The three trainers fielded Pikachu, Geodude, and Starmie respectively. They glared at the fugitives with pure hostility.   
  
"Those meddling kids!"   
  
"We can't waste time with them! Quilava, go!" In front of the Rocket grunt appeared a weasel with navy blue fur and a yellow underside. On its head and rear were flames that lit up the Pokemon's fur. "Quilava, Smokescreen!"   
  
From Quilava's mouth came a foul black cloud of smoke. It descended over the lobby, making it impossible to see anything. The three trainers began coughing and covered their mouths and noses. Ash reached for his Pokeball and released his Noctowl.   
  
"Noctowl, blow the smoke outside with Gust!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the parking lot, Tai and Izzy watched smoke seep out of the hotel. The Rockets and the Nationalists ran out under the cover of the smoke. Agumon and Tentomon ran out of the surveillance van and blocked the fugitives' path of escape.   
  
"Agumon, Digivolve to... Greymon!"   
  
"Tentomon Digivolve to... Kabuterimon!"   
  
"You there, stop!"   
  
People began screaming and fleeing in terror once Greymon and Kabuterimon entered the scene. The enemy stopped at upon sight of the two Digimon and reached for their Pokeballs.   
  
"Primeape, go!" A Pokemon resembling a white fur ball with limbs appeared in front of a terrorist. He looked very pissed.   
  
"Steelix, go!" A Pokemon resembling a cross between a legless caterpillar and a snake materialized in front of a second terrorist. His body was completely coated by metal.   
  
"Primeape, Jump Kick!"   
  
Primeape launched himself forward with right leg extended into Greymon's chest. With the sound of metal crunching, and glass cracking, the Fire Dinosaur Digimon landed onto a series of parked cars. Primeape leapt into the air above his fallen foe, and descended with leg extended. Suddenly, Greymon rolled over and his tail whacked Primeape into the ground!   
  
"Nova Blast!" Primeape recovered from the blow, only to place himself into the path of an incoming fireball. The attack burned Primeape painfully, ultimately sprawling him on the ground.   
  
"Steelix, Wrap attack!" Steelix lurched forward, and coiled his serpentine body around Kabuterimon.   
  
"Kabuterimon, you need help?"   
  
Kabuterimon jockeyed with Steelix for the advantage. "I'm fine, Greymon, stop them from getting away!"   
  
Greymon turned to hear the screech of tires. Several getaway cars skid into a hard left turn in front of the entrance and the enemy recalled their Pokemon. Greymon spit a Nova Blast fireball, and struck the trunk of the rear car. The car shook and freaked the driver out. The getaway car smashed into the rear of a silver car leaving its space, denting both vehicles' bodies.   
  
"Learn to drive!"   
  
Jenny heard the black limo start. "Stop that limo!"   
  
The getaway cars shot out of the lot, nearly running over a terrified pedestrian as they turned to the right hard. Birdramon emerged from the park and gave pursuit. Birdramon's first volley of Meteor Wing fireballs missed, and the explosions alarmed the drivers. They banked left and right, dodging each volley like professionals. Birdramon continued her attack and eventually ripped up the right rear tire of one of the cars. The car tore a fire hydrant out of the ground before being completely stopped by its crash into a street post.   
  
Giovanni's limo sped by the entrance and in front of Ash and friends. Ash sent Chikorita out and she launched a Razor Leaf volley. The blade-like leaves pinged against the car's armoured chassis and thumped against its bulletproof windows. The limo's tires smoked as it turned left hard to speed out of the parking lot. The limo made a hard left turn, and dodged a bolt of holy energy from the sky before picking up speed.   
  
"Giovanni's limo has armour!"   
  
Several blaring sirens came from behind the limo, and revealed themselves to be from police cruisers in hot pursuit.   
  
"Step on it!" said Giovanni.   
  
In the south end, the heroes there watched as a crowd of panicked people fled the hotel. The panicked crowd was screaming as they fled the hotel. Several bolts of dark energy shot out from the interior, missing the crowd by a large margin. A bolt of darkness struck a random tourist in the back and cut him down. The people continued to flee, and inadvertently trampled the tourist. Phantomon and Vilemon emerged, and continued to fire potshots at the crowd.   
  
Matt took great offence this. "Cowards! Leave them alone!"   
  
"Gabumon, Digivolve to... Garurumon!"   
  
"Patamon, Digivolve to... Angemon!"   
  
"Palmon, Digivolve to... Togemon!"   
  
The crowd ran past the heroes, when suddenly, dark energy streaked out from a location out of the heroes' vision. The heroes followed the shot's path back to the shooter, a ghost-like Digimon. In fact, there was more than one ghost. Each looked like a floating, ripped up white sheet. They had scary faces and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. They were preoccupied with attacking the crowd, and not paying attention to the heroes' presence.   
  
"Bakemon!"   
  
"Marill, go!" Tracey activated his Pokeball, and the Aquamouse Pokemon appeared in a burst of crimson energy.   
  
"Go, Beedrill!" A giant bee materialized in front of Casey.   
  
"Marill, Water Gun!" The pressurized water jet blindsided the Bakemon, plastering the Ghost Digimon into a concrete wall. A different Bakemon discovered Tracey's sneak attack.   
  
"Beedrill, Pin Missile!" This Bakemon turned to locate the attackers only to receive a volley of energy pins to the face.   
  
Now, the Bakemon were fully aware of the heroes, and advanced menacingly. "Evil Charm!" Bakemon's bolt of dark energy popped Beedrill in the chest, dazing the Poison Bee.   
  
Casey watched Beedrill shake her daze off. "Alright, Beedrill! Don't let them get you down!"   
  
Togemon threw a mighty haymaker, only to miss her foe and hit a concrete street post. The post cracked and fissured before finally crashing down with a thud. "Needle Spray!"   
  
"Arggggh!" Bakemon looked like a pincushion, with the needles embedded into his body. He crumpled to the ground and disintegrated into data.   
  
Phantomon entered into a stand off with Angemon. The two sides kept their eyes on each other, watching for any openings. Phantomon broke the standoff and lunged. Angemon spotted the attack, and parried with his Angel Staff. Phantomon continued his assault, driving the length of his scythe forward to bash his foe. Angemon parried again, and the two Digimon separated to gain distance.   
  
Angemon's fist charged with pure holy energy. "Hand of Fate!" With a forward punch, the holy energy surged forth as a beam.   
  
Phantomon grunted as the beam seared the left side of his torso. Suddenly, a bolt of energy came from below and blew Angemon out of the air! The leaves and branches rustled as he fell through a tree and onto the ground. TK checked on Angemon's injuries and spotted Vilemon at the next intersection. He was laughing his head off with malicious glee. Phantomon moved beside Vilemon. A swirling rift opened in the ground and swallowed the two Digimon up.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The police pursued Giovanni's limo persistently, matching the driver's moves like professionals. The limo rounded a corner and Giovanni looked back. The police instantly reappeared in his rear window, and back in pursuit. The sirens were getting irritating, and the police cars' crimson lights bore down on Giovanni's face. His frustration was growing.   
  
"Can't you go any faster?" he complained.   
  
The driver turned left around a corner to see several police cruisers lined up across the street. "Damn, roadblock!"   
  
"The cops won't get us! Plow through!"   
  
"They're speeding up! Hit the dirt!"   
  
The police dove for cover moments before impact. With the sound of metal crunching and glass being smashed, the limo punched through a small gap in the cruisers. The limo was severely dented and its windows were cracked, but it passed through. The roadblock was in disarray and the central cruisers were turned almost ninety degrees. The pursuing police jammed on the brakes, moments before colliding with the roadblock, and ultimately letting the limo get away.   
  



	11. The Evil Empire

Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 10: The Evil Empire   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Dark Area was a world of eternal night, the domain of the Sovereign of the Dead, Anubismon. The moon was full and beautiful, and illuminated the forest landscape of the Dark Area. The waters of the sea were an inky black, hiding whatever might lurk in the depths below. The touch of the air itself was chilling, as though it was freezing a person's very soul. In the sea was an island with a single rock formation of pure onyx. This formation was surrounded by a violet aura that radiated power.   
  
A swirling vortex opened, and eight trucks drove out, driven by the Kanto Nationalists. Each truck was designed for heavy-duty labour, like that in a construction site, and each held a stolen Destiny Stone. Giovanni emerged from the portal, with the rolled up translation of the Curse of the Eight Dooms. Three underlings followed him, carrying three suitcases filled with the stolen Mega statues within. Vilemon and Phantomon were the last to set foot on the island. In their sack was the data gathered from hundreds of dead trainers and Pokemon.   
  
Phantomon opened his sack towards the rock formation. "Everyone remain quiet. Giovanni, face the formation of onyx and read the curse."   
  
Giovanni nodded, cleared his throat, and read the Curse of the Eight Dooms:   
  
**_

Eight Dooms to crush the Eight Virtues:   
Six are diseases of the heart; six sources of blight.   
One from the seekers of evil's might,   
One from he who's not a lover of Light. 

_**   
  
The ground began to rumble, and the rock formation shuddered. The terrorists and Team Rocket were surprised, but Giovanni continued his reciting. As he moved to the next eight lines, an invisible, magical force lifted the Destiny Stones into the air. In a churning black cloud, pure darkness consumed each Destiny Stone. As Giovanni named the Eight Dooms, each of the Destiny Stones recited with him.   
  
**_

The Grip of Fear:   
One sends soldiers to oppress the bold, and furthers a tyranny's hold.   
  
The Rift of Hostility:   
One is the bringer of ire, and wracks the world through rains of fire.   
  
The Fires of Hatred:   
One cares not in the least, and turns the calm into a beast.   
  
The Veil of Ignorance:   
One is a closing of the mind, and tints the world for the blind.   
  
The Sloth of Negligence:   
One spreads like a flame; it is evasive and passes the blame.   
  
The Mask of Hypocrisy:   
One tells a lie to your lover; to show one face, and hide the other.   
  
The Prison of Despair:   
One brings a life most grave, crushes Hope, and makes you a slave.   
  
The Omen of Darkness:   
One is the Evil One's endeavour; to devour the world in Darkness forever. 

_**   
  
Upon utterance of the names of the Dooms, each Destiny Stone transformed into a new form. All eight were now made of a new glossy material. This material was like gemstone, but the deepest black in colour. Each corrupted Destiny Stone emanated dark, chilling sensations, as though a dark power was concentrated in each corrupt Destiny Stone. The corrupted Destiny Stones had taken on new forms to reflect their dark new power.   
  
The first Destiny Stone changed into a gauntlet with spikes on its knuckles. Its fingers were clasped around a sphere representing a planet. The sphere seemed to be crumbling, as though the hand was crushing it with great strength. The second Destiny Stone turned into the effigy of two soldiers with guns drawn. They glared at each other with the intent to kill. Each soldier was standing on a cliff, and separated from each other by the chasm in between.   
  
The third Destiny Stone took on the form of a flame. On the front of the flame was a face, a face that was contorted by pure contempt for the world and those around it. In fact, one would think the flame itself was an evil spirit. The fourth Destiny Stone had two parts, a bald female head looking at a devil. A translucent veil covered the face, and on the veil was the image of a beautiful female angel. The head's positioning made it clear that instead of seeing the devil, the person was actually seeing the angel's image.   
  
The fifth Destiny Stone transformed into a bizarre scene of a sloth reclining against a tree. The sloth was yawning, and nearby, several animals were running from a massive forest fire. The sloth didn't seem to care for anyone's safety, including its own. The sixth transformed into the small statue of the head of a woman removing her mask. The mask resembled a beautiful woman with smooth skin. However, the face behind the mask was that of a foul, decrepit, old hag.   
  
The seventh became a small, cubic cage. Inside it was the effigy of a man whose face was filled with anguish. His hands were clasped around the bars in a desperate attempt to pry them apart. The last Destiny Stone merged with the onyx rock formation, and shook the very earth itself. The rock formation enlarged itself into a massive mountain, and the clouds overhead swirled. The mountain cast an ominous aura, a portent of a dark future.   
  
**_

Eight Dooms brought by an evil hand,   
Eight to bring ruin to the land! 

_**   
  
A slab of amethyst burst out of the ground. Inside was a cloud of churning darkness with a pair of glowing, crimson eyes. Data began to flow out of Phantomon's bag, and into the slab of amethyst. The data churned inside the slab as the dark spirit within began assimilating the data. After a few seconds, cracks ripped down the length of the slab. A bright violet light emanated from the amethyst, and with a deafening boom, the slab exploded into pieces!   
  
After everyone recovered from the shock of the explosion, they came face to face with a tall Digimon. His head was like that of an unholy white goat, with long, curved horns. His violet fur fluttered from the wind created by the flapping of the two black, gargoyle-like wings on his back. The wings were torn up, as though they were damaged from battle. As the demonic beast breathed, noxious black vapour seeped out of his nostrils and mouth.   
  
"At last, I am free!" said the demon with joy. "Greetings, seekers of evil's might. I am Mephistomon, lord of the dark Digimon. Have you brought the statues, Team Rocket?"   
  
On cue, the Team Rocket grunts opened their briefcases to reveal the gemstone statues held within. Mephistomon looked over the statues and grinned. "Most impressive! We can now proceed."   
  
"We were unable to decide where to build our power base. Our meeting was interrupted by our enemies," said the terrorist leader.   
  
"Very well, I will decide. We will create our power base in the nation of Kanto in the Pokemon World."   
  
"What should we do about the Destiny Stones?"   
  
Mephistomon smirked. "For one thing, calling them 'Destiny Stones' isn't appropriate anymore. They will now be called the 'Stones of Doom.' We will use their very presence to corrupt the hearts and minds of people and Pokemon. The Veil of Ignorance is the perfect tool to turn the people of Kanto into our loyal subjects."   
  
"...And the others?"   
  
"This mountain, the Omen of Darkness, shall be our base, and the symbol of our power. As for the rest, we will decide in due time."   
  
Thus, Team Rocket and the Kanto Nationalists, the seekers of evil's might, have found power. Mephistomon raised his hands and created a ripple of darkness in the air. In this ripple was a clear image of a large city. It was a metallic wonder with glistening buildings from a modern age. One of the buildings, the most notable one of all, was the headquarters of Silph Co. Mephistomon looked at the city, Saffron City, and smiled, for it would be the perfect capital of his new empire.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
It was early morning in Silph Town, one day after the heroes' failed attempt to catch the enemy in one fell swoop. At Silph's dimensional gates, the technicians looked at the meters and recorded the readings. Another technician punched some buttons on the panel, and copied the diagnostic and integrity test results onto his clipboard. For some reason, the gates in Saffron were not responding to the technicians' signals. A different technician's panel beeped, indicating new signals coming in.   
  
"Where are these signals coming from?" asked the head technician.   
  
"Rustboro, sir! It seems there's an emergency at Rustboro, but I don't get it. Devon Corporation's gates shouldn't be ready for at least another month or so."   
  
"Connect our gate to Devon's, we'll sort this mess out later."   
  
The technician complied and pressed a few buttons on the panel on the arch-like gates. The gates turned on with the crackle of energy. A swirling nimbus of data symbols formed in the arches and suddenly, the first pod shot out of the gate and into the tubes on Silph Town's side. The bullet-like pod slowed and eventually stopped beside a disembarking station. The first two people got off and took in the sights and sounds of Silph Town.   
  
One was a beautiful young girl with tanned skin. She resembled a bike racer wearing her body hugging red and black sports top, and black shorts. On her head was a red bandanna with the white symbol of the Pokeball. The wind picked up, blowing locks of her brown hair into her blue eyes. Around her waist was a small yellow pouch where she kept her belongings. She was May, a new Pokemon trainer beginning her journey.   
  
The other was a portly man in his early thirties with a brown beard and brown hair. He wore a navy blue shirt, and his lab coat gave away his academic background. However, his khaki shorts and sandals made him look more like a person who preferred being outdoors. This man was May's friend, Professor Birch, a Pokemon expert like Samuel Oak. Birch was the same man who had given May her starter Pokemon, Torchic.   
  
Meanwhile, a gate technician struck up a conversation with the pod driver: "What happened? What's the emergency?"   
  
"Kanto has invaded Hoenn!" warned the pod driver. "They have already taken Dewford, Littleroot, and are moving to Petalburg!"   
  
"Are these people refugees?" asked the technician.   
  
"Yeah, these people came here to escape the war. We need to work out some housing arrangements for these people."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
On the TV screen near Oak was a picture of a human and dinosaur hybrid. This Digimon had orange skin, and his hair was red. On his hands and arms were a set of sharp, yellow hand claws, and on his back was a yellow shield open into halves. He wore a silver helmet, and down his cuirass ran a series of tightly wound red tubes like stitching. This Digimon looked like a mighty warrior.   
  
"This is War Greymon, a powerful Digimon of the Mega level," lectured Oak. "His armour and claws are made of Chrome Digizoid, a super metal frequently found on many Ultimate and Mega level Digimon."   
  
Izzy continued: "War Greymon is a dragon slayer. The claws on his hands are called Dramon Killers, and were specially designed to kill dragon Digimon. We Digidestined used this fact to beat two of our greatest enemies. I suspect a Dragon-type Pokemon would be just as vulnerable to these claws as a dragon Digimon."   
  
"Let's go to the question and answer session," said Mary.   
  
Mary called out a random boy in the audience. "How do Digimon types work? Are they like Pokemon types?"   
  
"Good questions," said Oak. "I've spoken with some trainers and the Digidestined, and it seems like Pokemon types don't apply to Digimon in quite the same way. It seems a Digimon's type advantages and weaknesses depend on who you're fighting."   
  
"Digimon have a type that Pokemon do not, called the 'Holy' type," said Izzy. "This type isn't very common, some Digimon of this type include ."   
  
Tentomon continued: "There are also mechanical Digimon, like those Hagurumon fixing the police station. Their closest Pokemon counterpart would be Steel type Pokemon."   
  
"There aren't many Pokemon that can be considered mechanical, except for the evolution line of Magnemite and Voltorb," continued Oak.   
  
"That's all the time we have for today. Tune in tomorrow for our show on Digimon with special roles in the Digital World," announced Mary.   
  
Oak gave a preview of the next show: "In that show, you'll hear about the Sovereigns themselves. You'll hear about Digimon such as Zhuqiaomon, whose Digimon invaded Silph Town, and Azulongmon, the ruler of the region where Silph Town was built."   
  
"This is DJ Mary signing off." Mary left her table and to talk with one of the radio technicians. "Did you find out what the problem was?"   
  
"No, sorry, we still can't get through to Goldenrod."   
  
"I wonder what's going on there?" asked Mary. "Keep trying, they might be having technical problems."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Birch and May approached the Silph Pokemon Centre. It was a hi-tech building with clean white walls and sliding glass doors. The building was marked by the symbol of the Pokeball. Inside, the floors were tiled and blue, and at the side of the room opposite the doors was a reception desk. A happy, pink, egg-shaped Pokemon was helping the resident nurse. In the small pouch on her belly was a smaller white egg. This Pokemon was Chansey, a common sight in Pokemon Centres across the Pokemon World.   
  
Nurse Joy took position behind her desk. "How may I help you?"   
  
"I need to stay here for awhile. The mayor made some arrangements for me to stay here," replied May.   
  
"Okay, just tell me your name and I'll take care of everything." May told Nurse Joy her name. Nurse Joy looked up May's name in a book and gave her the key to her room.   
  
"Thanks, Nurse Joy!"   
  
Birch began a lecture about the facilities. "Okay May, Pokemon Centres are free rest stops for trainers like yourself, and hospitals for your Pokemon. Give your Pokemon to Nurse Joy, and she will take care of the rest. They are also the best places to meet trainers, since they are bound to come by here sooner or later."   
  
"I have a place to stay, but I'm worried about you. Where are you going to stay?"   
  
"I have a colleague of mine here. His name's Samuel Oak, and I'm going to see if he can let me stay in his lab in exchange for helping with his research. Take this map if you're going to explore, and give Torchic to Nurse Joy so she can give her a little boost."   
  
May took the map and looked it over. "Thanks, Professor!"   
  
Nurse Joy took May's Pokeball and placed it onto a recharging machine. Once Torchic's energy was fully restored, Joy returned the ball to May. May spotted a poster advertising a radio show hosted by DJ Mary. On this poster were pictures of Mary, Professor Samuel Oak, a third person that May didn't recognize, and what looked like a Pokemon. The poster showed the person's name was Izzy Izumi, and the 'Pokemon' was Tentomon.   
  
Three new trainers entered the Pokemon Centre. The leader was a ten-year-old boy with a red and white cap covering a head of black hair. On his shoulder was a mouse-like Pokemon with yellow fur and red spots on his cheeks. The second was a ten-year-old girl with orange hair tied to the left. She cradled an egg-like Pokemon in her arms. The last boy was a bit older, around twelve or thirteen years old. He was taller than the others, and had a tanned complexion and black hair.   
  
"Hi, Ash!"   
  
"Hi, Nurse Joy! We're here to give our Pokemon a boost," said the leading boy, Ash.   
  
"No problem, just let me have your Pokemon." The three trainers handed their Pokeballs and Pokemon over to the nurse. After a few minutes of waiting, Joy returned them all refreshed and ready for battle.   
  
"Thanks Nurse Joy!"   
  
"So how was Professor Oak's show?"   
  
"It was great! I learned a lot about Digimon. Did you know that Digimon had a type that Pokemon did not?" asked Ash.   
  
"Yeah, I heard about that; the Holy type," replied Nurse Joy.   
  
"I wonder what the Holy type's advantages and disadvantages are?"   
  
"Sorry about eavesdropping, but you guys went to the show, right?" asked May.   
  
"Yeah, it was a nice show. I really learned a lot about Digimon," replied Brock.   
  
"Cool! I wish I could be there, by the way, I'm May, a new Pokemon trainer."   
  
"I'm Ash, a Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town. These are my friends Brock, Misty, Togepi, and Pikachu." Each of Ash's friends greeted May.   
  
"Pallet Town?"   
  
"That's right, it's in Kanto. So you came here to see the Digital World, right?"   
  
May remained silent momentarily. "No... I was forced to come here because of a war between Kanto and Hoenn."   
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," consoled Misty. "At least you got here safely."   
  
"I know. I was lucky to make it out of there," said May.   
  
"Ash," called Nurse Joy. "Professor Oak just called you. It seems a man named Gennai has called a meeting. They want you to go back to the Professor's lab to attend."   
  
"Alright, I'm going right now," replied Ash.   
  
Brock gave May a pensive glance. "You know, May, why don't you come with us? I have a gut feeling that this has something to do with the war you were talking about."   
  
"You really think so? Alright then, lead the way," replied May.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The four trainers ran to Oak's lab as quickly as they could. Everyone was already there, standing in a huddle around Gennai. The others' anxiety over waiting for Ash, Brock, and Misty faded away, to be replaced with curiosity about the trio's new friend. May introduced herself to the others and vice versa. Gennai cleared his throat and began the briefing.   
  
"I now know who is leading our enemies!" stated Gennai.   
  
Everyone was shocked. "Who is it?" asked Tai.   
  
"His name is Mephistomon," replied Gennai.   
  
Gennai told the group about Mephistomon's origin. During the reign of the Dark Masters, there were only four Sovereigns. The Dark Masters sealed them away with the help of their creator Apocalymon. After the fall of Apocalymon and the Dark Masters, the seal on the Sovereigns fell apart and the Sovereigns broke free. It was later on that there would be six Sovereigns, but many months had passed before that happened. During that time, the data of dead Digimon entered the Dark Area and formed a dark spirit.   
  
"Mephistomon was that spirit?" asked Sora.   
  
"Yes. Mephistomon would have become a new Apocalymon if given enough time and data. However..."   
  
The Sovereigns made a pre-emptive move against the dark spirit. They sealed it away in a remote location in the Dark Area long before it could take on a physical form. The spirit stayed there, until the coming of people and Pokemon from the Pokemon World drew its attention. It began to stir, to take advantage of this perfect opportunity to break free. It lured servants to its service with the promise of great rewards.   
  
"Team Rocket!" blurted the Pokemon trainers.   
  
"The Kanto Nationalists!" continued the Digidestined.   
  
"That's right," said Gennai. "They interfered with the spirit's formation process and freed it from its prison. All those stolen statues, Destiny Stones, and dead people were to bring a new 'Apocalymon' to power."   
  
"I don't get it... Why did he come back as Mephistomon, and not as Apocalymon?" asked Joe.   
  
"I'm not sure of the reason, but I think it's because they used Pokemon and human data in addition to Digimon data."   
  
Gennai gave Izzy a translated copy of the Curse of the Eight Dooms. "This looks like a prophecy," remarked Izzy.   
  
"Actually, it's the spell they used to revive Mephistomon. It corrupted the eight stolen Destiny Stones and turned them into the eight Stones of Doom."   
  
"Stones of Doom?" asked Brock.   
  
"Each Destiny Stone took on a form relating to its respective Doom. The Dooms are dark powers that corrupt people who are exposed to them for prolonged time periods. The enemy is using the Stones of Doom to attack the Pokemon World!"   
  
At that moment, the room fell silent and everyone's jaw dropped. "Wait a minute, if Mephistomon is an Apocalymon, then can he accelerate time like the one we fought?" asked Izzy.   
  
"Yes, Mephistomon and his followers have been in the Pokemon World for months now," replied Gennai, drawing gasps from the heroes.   
  
"Oh man, it just gets worse and worse!" commented Matt. "I'm scared to think how much damage he could do in that time."   
  
"That place is going to be a mess," said Biyomon.   
  
"We're wasting too much time here! We have to get back right now!" demanded Ash.   
  
"I understand your urgency, Ash, I will transport all of you to the Pokemon World."   
  
"Hold on, you're actually going to take on Kanto?" asked May.   
  
"You bet! We'd really appreciate your help," said Ash. "You want to stop Kanto, don't you?"   
  
"Of course, but what can I do? I've just started being a Pokemon trainer! I'm not an experienced trainer like you are, and I'm not a Digi-whatchamacallit like the others are!"   
  
"That's 'Digidestined,'" corrected Izzy.   
  
Ash reassured May: "Don't worry, we're all friends here. We'll be here with you the whole way. We didn't get this far without each others' help. Izzy's an expert on Digimon, and I'm an expert on Pokemon!"   
  
"Oh, brother..." commented Misty offhandedly.   
  
"I can teach you along the way," promised Ash. "But I won't force you to come."   
  
May weighed her options carefully. "Okay Ash, I'm in!"   
  
"Where should I take you?" asked Gennai.   
  
"How about my old lab in Pallet Town?" suggested Oak. "I'm staying here for awhile so you are free to use it as you like."   
  
Ash received a set of keys from Oak. "Thanks, Professor. Gennai, take us to the Professor's lab in Pallet Town!" said Ash.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
On a battlefield near Petalburg in Hoenn, Mephistomon's power was being displayed in full effect. Every nation of the world, with the exception of Johto, had banded together in the Hoenn Alliance to retaliate against Kanto's aggression. The air was thick with the scent of smoke from burning war machines. Every few seconds, a jumbled set of bangs and booms could be heard ripping through the air. The ground rumbled as a trio of giant Digimon, Dragomon, made their way onto the field of battle.   
  
Hoenn soldiers looked at the Digimon from their entrenched position. "What the hell are those things?" asked one of the soldiers.   
  
"Who cares what they are? Just kill them!" responded another soldier.   
  
The soldiers and Hoenn tanks unleashed a seemingly endless stream of shells and bullets. Each shot hit the three Dragomon's rubbery chests with a bang and the occasional explosion. However, the beasts remained standing, not even flinching from the attack. The Dragomon continued to advance to the Hoenn Alliance line, which looked like miniature toys to them. A smile formed on the octopus-like face of each Dragomon, for they would have a lot of fun.   
  
The first Dragomon stomped a tank into a flat metal pancake. A shell came and exploded on his right shoulder, but Dragomon skewered the offending tank using his trident. The second Dragomon dropkicked a tank across the battlefield. The third picked up an APC and crushed it with his mouth tentacles like a soda can. One by one, in a series of explosions and crunching metal, the Hoenn Alliance forces fell.   
  
Unlike the war zone in Hoenn, it was a peaceful summer day in Pallet Town. However, Mephistomon's evil was boundless, and no one was truly safe. On this day, an attractive, young, red-haired woman was tending to her crops with the help of a Pokemon. She was in a pink summer dress, and wore a straw hat. She took off her hat and wiped the sweat off her brow. She was Ash Ketchum's mother, Delia Ketchum.   
  
Her Pokemon friend looked upon the tomato vines. A pensive expression came upon the pink face of the Pokemon. He pulled the tomatoes closer with his white gloves, and inspected each one. As he moved the vine around, he revealed the red spots on his cheeks and chest. Sweat soaked the two tufts of blue hair that pointed outwards from his head. The tomatoes were still green, so the Pokemon decided to water the tomato plants.   
  
This Pokemon, Mr. Mime, suddenly sensed someone hostile approaching. "Mime! (Danger!)"   
  
Delia followed her Pokemon's finger to several faceless men in mottled green camouflage uniforms, and boots. On their heads were round, green helmets made of metal. All of them were armed with assault rifles and cast unpleasant looks upon Delia. Mr. Mime's sense of urgency increased, and he placed himself in front of Delia to protect her. Due to all of the negative rumours and news he had heard, Mr. Mime didn't want to take any chances.   
  
Globally, Kanto became known as an aggressive, hostile nation. They fielded an army made not only of human soldiers, but Pokemon and Digimon as well. Kanto had invaded Hoenn, with the Kanto news spreading propaganda glorifying the war. Johto was in an excellent position for a counter attack, but had signed a non-aggression pact with Kanto. Even with the help of other nations, Hoenn was falling to the nigh unstoppable might of the Kanto army.   
  
In local news, Kanto had turned into a fascist state. The police and army began to arrest anyone suspected of being enemies of the state, whether or not the suspicions had merit. Those that criticized or opposed the government were silenced by a firing squad. There was also controversy surrounding the death of Kanto's former president. The current leader was accused of masterminding the former leader's assassination, and then turning Kanto into its current state.   
  
"Delia Ketchum, you are under arrest!"   
  
A soldier went to grab Delia, but Mr. Mime shoved him away. "Damn Pokemon, get out of our way!" Two different soldiers shoved Mr. Mime out of the way, and reached for Delia.   
  
Mr. Mime's eyes glowed blue as he channelled energy into a Confusion attack. The two soldiers glowed with a blue aura before being telekinetically thrown down. Mr. Mime glowed blue again, this time activating his Light Screen ability. Several sheets of clear plastic formed around Mr. Mime and Delia like a barrier. The soldiers' guns banged as they opened fire, and sparks bounced from the barriers with each hit. Fortunately, the Light Screen held out, so the soldiers had to employ a new method of attack.   
  
"Tyranitar, go!" The Armour Pokemon appeared in front of a soldier. "Hyper Beam!"   
  
A concentrated, golden beam erupted from Tyranitar's maw. It ruptured a gaping hole into Mr. Mime's barrier and smacked him in the chest. Mr. Mime landed onto the ground in a heap and his barriers vanished. Delia went to check up on him, only to be grabbed by the soldiers, and kicked hard in the ribs. Delia took a blow to the back of the head, and everything faded to darkness.   
  
A different soldier pulled a grenade off of his strap. The grenade resembled a metallic, handheld pineapple that was dark green in colour. Using his teeth, the soldier pulled out the circular pin on the grenade's top, before throwing the grenade into the first floor window of the house. With a loud boom, an explosion shattered the glass, and destroyed everything in the living room. Several further explosions followed with the other soldiers lobbing grenades at the house.   
  
"We got what we came for, return to base!"   
  
The soldiers took Delia with them back to headquarters, leaving Mr. Mime sprawled on the ground. They tossed the unconscious Delia into a transport truck, and shut the doors. The truck started and drove off to an unknown location. The soldiers hit the recreation room of their headquarters, a medium-sized room with white walls, and a large brown couch in the opposite left corner. There was a ping-pong table at the right side of the room with two soldiers playing an intense game. Another soldier turned on the TV in front of the couch to watch.   
  
A news reporter appeared on the screen. "The mighty Kanto army has captured the city of Dewford in Hoenn! They are making their way north to conquer the towns of Littleroot and Petalburg. Soon, Kanto will control all of Hoenn. Glory to Kanto!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
A week later, the heroes popped up inside the interior of Oak's former lab. It was dusty and cobwebs were everywhere. It was the typical, sterile environment used by people in the sciences. The room was filled with electronic equipment with dials and switches, whose purpose was unknown. It was quiet as their master, Oak, had left to pursue his studies in the Digital World.   
  
Ash covered his mouth and nose as he checked the place out. "It sure is dusty here..."   
  
"I must return to the Digital World, my friends. I wish you good luck in your journey!"   
  
"Good bye, Gennai!"   
  
Everyone waved as Gennai vanished in a rainbow of light. In Oak's office, Izzy found a nice wooden desk to look over Gennai's parchment. A thick layer of dust had formed on it from months of disuse. Izzy fetched a duster from elsewhere in the lab and began to wipe the area clean. He turned on the lamp and began to read the parchment. It was an interesting read, and made more interesting by the information Gennai had given him.   
  
Tai came behind Izzy and looked at the parchment. "Did you find anything, Izzy?"   
  
"The eight Dooms are the opposite of our Crests. If we find a place with a situation like in the descriptions, a Stone is sure to be nearby."   
  
"I guess we'd better keep our eyes peeled for these signs."   
  
Misty ran into the room. "Tai, Izzy, come to the front door. There's something you should hear."   
  
At the front door, the group was huddled around the Mr. Mime belonging to Ash's mother. He was very agitated and blurted his words unintelligibly. "Mime Mime Mime!"   
  
He pulled Ash's hand to lead him somewhere. "Where are you taking me?" asked Ash.   
  
Ash and the other heroes followed, just as Tai, Izzy, and Misty came out of Oak's lab. They came upon a charred suburban house. Several black marks and potholes from unknown explosives ruined the garden. The windows were shattered, and there were several small holes punched into the walls. Several casings from fired bullets laid discarded on the ground. Ash gazed at this house, his home, in horror.   
  
His jaw dropped. "Ah, what happened here? MOM! Where are you?"   
  
Ash ran into his home, and Misty pursued. "Ash, wait!" she cried.   
  
Inside his former home, Ash looked around, calling for his mother. The living room was smashed up and in disarray, as though something had exploded there. The couch was scorched black, and the stuffing inside was ripped out. Books were scattered all over the ground, and the TV screen was smashed up. On the ground was the blast mark, a black, circular pattern. The explosion was quite large, and made several black scorch marks on the walls.   
  
Ash ran up the stairs and called for his mother but no one answered. He checked each bedroom and found that they too were ruined. In his own bedroom, an explosion charred his bed, and smashed his table and chest of drawers. The windows were shattered and glass was all over the ground. All of Ash's belongings were destroyed by whoever ruined his home, but worst of all, his mother was nowhere to be seen. 


	12. Lt Surge's Bargain

AnT:   
Yeah, Ash, Misty, and Brock would definitely be a bit older after so many seasons of Pokemon. How much older is up for debate... I'm sure the anime didn't show the majority of the travelling, only notable events that the trainers came upon. I just said ten because most websites take Ash's age to be ten. The same websites suggest that Misty's the same age as Ash.   
  
Luis:   
Johto's reasons for neutrality are covered in this chapter.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 11: Lt. Surge's Bargain   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Agumon listened to Mr. Mime's ranting. "Slow down! Start from the beginning and tell us slowly."   
  
Mr. Mime slowed down and reported what he saw clearly. Mr. Mime told Agumon and the other Digimon that soldiers from the Kanto army came here. They came to take Mr. Mime's mistress away. Mr. Mime threw himself in front of the soldiers and managed to thwart the attack. However, the soldiers sicced a Tyranitar on him, and knocked him out cold. When Mr. Mime woke up, the soldiers and Delia were gone, and the house was ruined.   
  
"The Kanto army took Ash's mom hostage!" said Tentomon.   
  
"Well that part's pretty obvious," said Matt.   
  
As Ash and Misty exited the house, the wind picked up and the sky grew dark. A black, gaseous substance seeped from the ground, and a pair of burning, crimson eyes opened. The gas coalesced into the shimmering form of a demon, a hybrid with the head of a goat and a humanoid body with bluish skin. His body was covered with violet fur, and a foul black vapour seeped from his mouth and nostrils with each breath.   
  
"You must be Mephistomon!" said Ash.   
  
"Indeed," replied the demon's image.   
  
Mephistomon's words put the heroes on the defensive. The Digimon surrounded the image in preparation to protect their partners and attack Mephistomon. Each Pokemon trainer clasped his or her hand around a Pokeball in preparation for battle. Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity as he stared at Mephistomon's eyes. Mephistomon was unfazed by the heroes' open hostility.   
  
Mephistomon chuckled. "It seems Delia Ketchum isn't home today. I decided it would be nice to make her my very special 'guest,' so my underlings paid her a little visit."   
  
Ash growled angrily. "Give my mom back now!"   
  
"You are in no position to make demands of me. You've meddled in my affairs for far too long. If you value Delia's life, return to the Digital World and don't come back," threatened Mephistomon.   
  
As the gas dissipated, Ash fumed silently before vowing: "You won't get away with this, I swear!"   
  
Joe knew everyone's hands were now tied. "Now what do we do? One wrong move and she's done for!"   
  
"Are you saying we should do nothing?" asked TK. "That's exactly what he wants!"   
  
"TK's right! I won't stand by and let him do whatever he wants!" objected Tai.   
  
"...But we don't have any idea where she is," objected Brock. "There's no way we can rescue her if we don't even know where they're keeping her."   
  
"Well then, all we have to is find out and then rescue her!" said Gomamon.   
  
"It's not like we can walk up to a Kanto soldier, and ask them 'Hey, do you know where Ash's mom is?'" said Agumon.   
  
The heroes continued their argument, unable to come to a consensus. Unknown to them, a mysterious figure was watching and listening to them the whole time. This figure was a muscular man in his thirties with tanned skin, and blond hair. He was wearing black sunglasses, khaki jacket, and khaki pants. He had a 'tough guy' aura with his muscles and military-style clothing. He had snuck into the ruins of Ash's home, and hid himself near the front window while the heroes were preoccupied with Mephistomon.   
  
"We're getting nowhere!" complained Sora. "Let's call a vote, all those in favour of rescuing Ash's mom, say 'aye!'"   
  
Gatomon heard what sounded like glass being crushed. She turned to the window and saw the figure make a run for it. "Window!"   
  
The heroes looked over to the window to see the spy dash into the kitchen. He dove out of the window into a roll, and continued running towards the fields. He looked back to see several of his pursuers coming out of the back door, while others came around the house to cut him off. His leading pursuer was Gatomon, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't outrun the cat Digimon for long. Eventually, Gatomon caught up to the man in the field outside of Ash's home.   
  
The man took a tackle and tumbled to the ground, getting grass and dirt all over his body. "Okay, you got me! I'll talk, I'll talk!"   
  
Tai approached the man. "Who are you?"   
  
The others caught up to Gatomon and Tai. "Lt. Surge?" gasped Ash. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"You know this man?" asked Gatomon.   
  
"Yeah. He's the Vermillion City Gym Leader," replied Ash.   
  
Surge told the heroes who he was and why he was spying on them. Surge was a member of a resistance group called the "Liberators of Kanto." He worked as a recruiter and an agent for the group. The Liberators had reason to believe that the president of Kanto was merely a puppet. Another person or group had the real power, and was manipulating things behind the scenes. After hearing about the heroes' dilemma, he offered to make a deal with them.   
  
"Maybe, tell us more about this 'deal,'" requested Gatomon.   
  
Surge stated the terms: "I'd like you to join my group, and tell us everything you know about this 'Mephistomon.' In exchange, I'll have my boys get Ash's mom away from Kanto. Any questions?"   
  
"Why us?" asked Misty.   
  
"It has been difficult fighting against Kanto, and sadly, we are in desperate need of help," admitted Surge. "Those Digimon from the other world are very strong. You guys are exactly what we need in our group."   
  
Surge looked at each of the Digimon. "Us?" asked Patamon.   
  
"That's right. What do you say, kids, we have a deal? You have my word that we'll save Ash's mom."   
  
The heroes discussed this offer amongst themselves. "Okay, we're in!" announced Ash.   
  
"Good, tell me about Mephistomon," requested Surge.   
  
Surge listened intently as the heroes narrated the story of Mephistomon's origin and his machinations. He was especially interested in hearing about the involvement of Team Rocket and the Kanto Nationalists. The most revealing thing of all was the role that Mephistomon played in manipulating Kanto's own government. Surge suspected that the corrupting power of the Stones of Doom was at the heart of this change in the government.   
  
"Those conspiracy theories were true after all. Yeah, now I see, Johto's neutrality in the war suddenly makes sense," mumbled Surge.   
  
"Johto?" asked Sora.   
  
"Johto is where we've been travelling before we met you guys," said Ash to the Digidestined.   
  
"I'm from Johto," said Casey.   
  
Surge gave the heroes a lecture about Johto's importance. Johto was the nation that bordered Kanto's west. From a strategic point of view, Johto was the only location from which a land-based invasion could be made on Kanto. Kanto was completely surrounded by the sea except at its west. Due to Johto's neutrality, the Hoenn Alliance would be unable to exploit this and bring the war to Kanto soil.   
  
"How strong is Kanto at its west boarder?" asked Izzy.   
  
"Kanto, or should I say Mephistomon, is keeping only the minimum necessary to guard that border," replied Surge. "The rest of his army is committed to the Hoenn invasion, and air and sea defence. In essence, he is using Johto as a buffer state. As long as Johto stays neutral, you have to attack by air or the sea."   
  
"If we can turn Johto against Kanto, Mephistomon would be in BIG trouble," noted Tentomon.   
  
"Right again. I suspect that Mephistomon is relying too much on his Stones of Doom to keep Johto at bay. That, kids, will be his critical mistake," stated Surge.   
  
"What about my mom?" asked Ash.   
  
"Don't worry," replied Surge. "For now, all of you can just relax and take a break. My boys will take care of your mom."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Three days later, Ash, May, and their monster partners met in the fields outside of Pallet Town. The fields were lush and green, and in the horizon were several rolling hills. It was a beautiful countryside paradise with the fresh smell of trees and grass. It was in these fields that Ash was teaching May the basics of Pokemon training. May had her partner Torchic out, ready for some training.   
  
Torchic was the Fire type starter Pokemon of Hoenn trainers, and the equivalent of Charmander and Cyndaquil to Kanto and Johto trainers respectively. Torchic had a fiery appearance that was true to its Fire type characteristics. The feathers on her body were a bright orange. The feathers on her head were yellow, as were her legs and wings. Her black eyes focused on Ash and May talking about Pikachu.   
  
Ash decided to teach May the intricacies of Pokemon types. Pokemon types defined a Pokemon's characteristics and the attacks they were best at using. Each Pokemon had at least one type, and some had two. Each type brought advantages and disadvantages, like a giant game of rock-paper-scissors. Thus, it was a good idea to have a team with a variety of types to be prepared for any situation. It was necessary to know how to exploit the type system to be a great trainer.   
  
"Okay, seems easy enough. What types are there?" asked May.   
  
"Well, there are a lot of types." Ash began counting the types of Pokemon he had ever had. "I have had Pokemon with Electric, Fire, Water, Grass, Flying, Ice, Normal, Bug, Fighting, Ghost, and Poison types."   
  
"Is that all the types there is?"   
  
"Not really, there are still more types. I have seen and battled against Psychic types; they're very powerful and tough to beat. My friend Brock has Rock and Ground type Pokemon. I've also heard of Dragon, Dark, and Steel type Pokemon."   
  
"Wow, that's a lot of types! So, Pikachu is an Electric type, right?"   
  
"Yeah, you catch on fast! One of the best ways to learn a Pokemon's type is to look at it. Torchic looks like a Fire type, so she would not be good against Fire, Water, and Rock types, but good against Grass and Ice types."   
  
"So, if I want something good against a Fire, Water, or Rock type, I would need to find a new Pokemon?"   
  
"That's not the only way around it. Pokemon have types, but their attacks have types too. For example, Pikachu's Thunderbolt is an Electric type attack. Even if your Pokemon doesn't have a type advantage, you can try to use attacks that do."   
  
"I'm not sure I get it. Can you give me an example?"   
  
"Pikachu's electricity isn't good against Grass Pokemon. If I can teach him a Fire type attack, I can use it to get take advantage of Grass Pokemon's Fire type weakness."   
  
"Seems simple enough..."   
  
The lesson on types continued for a short while until Ash decided to move to a new lesson. For this lesson, Ash wanted to see if May knew the basics of commanding Pokemon. This new lesson was more of a test than a lesson. Ash searched around and found a medium-sized rock perfect for this test. He gathered several smaller pebbles and piled them on top of the rock. Ash moved out of the way, and asked May to have Torchic knock the pile down.   
  
"Okay Torchic, attack the pile of rocks!" ordered May.   
  
Torchic gave a puzzled look at May. "Chi? (How?)"   
  
May was puzzled. "Why aren't you doing anything, Torchic?"   
  
"Umm, May, you have to tell her the name of the attack," said Ash.   
  
"The name?"   
  
"Yeah, check your Pokedex. See if you can get a listing of her attacks."   
  
====================Pokedex====================   
Name: Torchic   
Type: Fire   
Evolved From: N/A   
  
Torchic, the Chick Pokemon. This Pokemon is warm to the touch and can store fire inside its body for use in attacks like Fire Spin and Flamethrower.   
  
Notable Attacks: Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Fire Spin   
==============================================   
  
Ash and May huddled close together to hear the Pokedex. "Focus Energy is more of a strengthening ability than a true attack. Tell Torchic to use Focus Energy, then throw a Fire-type attack at the rocks."   
  
May studied the attacks briefly and then nodded. "Okay, Ash! Torchic, Focus Energy!"   
  
Torchic complied and her body glowed red. A surge of strength coursed through her body, and she began to hop about. Torchic felt on top of the world and ready to take on all comers. Torchic stopped hopping, waiting for her trainer's next order as Ash smiled. Unknown to Ash and May, Misty had come up behind them with a message. Misty called to the two trainers and the two exchanged greetings.   
  
"Great news, guys!" reported Misty. "Surge said that his people found your mother!"   
  
"Really?" asked Ash hopefully.   
  
"Yeah, they're bringing her back the next day!"   
  
"That's great! Okay May, go ahead and knock the pebbles down."   
  
"Torchic, Fire Spin!"   
  
A roaring gout of flame swooshed out of Torchic's mouth. The flames swirled into a small, flaming tornado around the stone pile. The tornado kicked up dirt from the ground as it moved, eventually picking up the pebbles. The flames soon subsided, and the pebbles dropped to the ground, leaving nothing remaining of the pile. Torchic and May were both happy for their success.   
  
Pikachu congratulated Torchic: "Pika, Pikachu! (Yeah, Torchic!)"   
  
"Wow, thanks Ash! I'm learning so much!"   
  
Out of joy, May promptly grabbed and hugged Ash. However, Misty was not so pleased and quite indignant about it. She let out a faint growl that was heard by both Ash and May. May released her hug and the two trainers looked at Misty.   
  
Ash was dumbfounded. "What's the matter?"   
  
"It almost seems as though you were jealous..." suggested May.   
  
"I'm not jealous!" snapped Misty.   
  
May backed off. "Okay, you don't have to get so angry!"   
  
Ash and May continued the lesson, with Misty watching and fuming silently.   
  
  
  
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The next day, Surge called for a meeting. "So, have you found out where they took my mom?" asked Ash.   
  
Surge kept a straight face. "Yeah, my boys got her out, but..."   
  
"...but what? Let me see her!" demanded Ash with urgency.   
  
Surge reluctantly led the heroes to a campsite outside of Pallet Town. The camp was bustling with armed men and women in camouflage. The heroes came upon a dirty, khaki coloured tent, with a red cross over its entrance. Surge allowed only Ash, Pikachu, and Mr. Mime to enter the tent, as they were the individuals closest to Delia. Ash gazed on his mother on the bed, and was shocked and saddened by the sight of Delia's condition.   
  
Ash held onto his mom's left hand. "Oh mom, what have they done to you?"   
  
On a bed was his mother, who was clothed in camouflage. Her old clothes laid discarded in a wastebasket, torn and soiled by blood. She was unconscious and hooked up to a pack of essential nutrients through tubes attached to her arms. On her face and body were the greyish blue marks of bruises and welts, and bandages were covering her arms, left leg, and ribs. From the nature of her wounds, it looked like she had been whipped quite severely.   
  
Pikachu every bit as sad as his trainer. "Pikapi... (Ash...)"   
  
Ash embraced his mom, then silently gazed at her limp form for a minute. "If only I was there, you wouldn't have ended up like this..."   
  
"Ash..." whispered Delia.   
  
"Mom?" cried Ash.   
  
The medic returned to the tent. "So, you're Ash? Delia was in pain, so we gave her a sedative. She lost quite a lot of blood; our boys did her a great favour by getting her out so soon. Don't you worry, we'll take good care of her!"   
  
Ash's disposition lightened up. "Thanks, it means so much to me!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Ash walked in on a meeting between the others. "Hi!"   
  
"Hi, Ash!"   
  
"Are you alright?" asked Sora.   
  
"I feel fine, Sora. The doctor said mom's okay, but I still don't understand how this happened to her."   
  
"You better look at Surge's photos."   
  
Surge handed Ash a set of photos and notes that came from Liberator spies. These pictures depicted a camp in Kanto that was near a mountainside. The camp was heavily guarded, and many of the photos had images of men armed with whips. They were surveying a series of chained Pokemon and humans, who were dirty, and haggard. The prisoners had picks in the hands and seemed to be digging through stone.   
  
Ash was appalled. "Slavery!"   
  
"Yeah, that place is a Kanto concentration camp," stated Surge. "We believe your mother was forced to work as a slave in the mines like the other humans and Pokemon. The minerals they mine go to an on-site factory that makes weapons for the Kanto army."   
  
Ash gasped and was utterly enraged at what he had heard. "Weapons? You mean they did this to mom just so they could make more weapons? I don't believe this!"   
  
"You're right Ash, but please calm down," pleaded Surge. "We're all outraged like you are! We all want to shut this disgusting place down, but we must keep cool and not make any mistakes."   
  
Ash took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Okay Lieutenant, please go on."   
  
"Our agents say the camp's pretty far to the southwest of Pallet. We're going there tomorrow night, so use my map, photos, and notes to get familiar with the camp's layout."   
  
Ash looked over Surge's information, and from the notes and map, the camp itself was situated east of the mountainside. A set of mine cart tracks ran eastward from the mine entrance, dividing the camp into north and south sides. There were guard towers with armed lookouts at each corner of the camp. A chain-link fence ran around the perimeter of the camp and it had a coil of barbed wire running along its top.   
  
The first building depicted in the photos was made of grey cement and had a large antenna on top of it. The building had two soldiers positioned at its doorway with other soldiers constantly patrolling its perimeter. The spies labelled this building as the camp's communications centre. Surge advised that this building be eliminated quickly to prevent reinforcements from being called in. This building was south of the mine tracks and northwest of the guard tower on the southeast.   
  
The largest building was made of cement and bricks, and heavily guarded. The paper work necessary for running the camp was done in this central office. It also had a barracks for the guards to stay in, and a kitchen for preparing meals for the slaves and soldiers. It was east of the mine entrance and south of the tracks. Northeast of the office were the homes of the slaves; small shacks made of brown wood. They were very dirty and unkempt, as though minimal effort was made in maintenance.   
  
The final building, the weapons factory, was grey and made of cement. It had several loading bays at its front, and mine cart tracks leading into its rear. Smoke billowed into the air from the four smokestacks on the roof. The factory also had its own refinery for processing minerals before being turned into firearms and explosives. The spies noted an unusual statue in the refinery made of what they believed to be onyx. Surge looked at the photo of the statue, and pondered what it could be.   
  
"A Stone of Doom! It's the Prison of Despair," announced Izzy.   
  
Surge looked over the notes on the factory. "The statue seems to be a power source of some kind for the factory. Ok kids, here is the plan of attack..."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
A new day dawned on the Kanto concentration camp, another day of arduous labour for the imprisoned slaves. Sweat drenched the bodies of each slave, and soaked through their ripped and soiled clothes. Metal bracelets and chains bound them together, ensuring they could not get away. The slaves' picks clanged as they toiled away, chipping through earth and stone in search of treasures for their masters.   
  
The slaves toiled in an underground chamber they created from their labour. The chamber was dimly lit by a series of lamps hanging on the roof. Every few minutes, the slaves would fill a mining cart with ore. At the command of a foreman in a hardhat and khaki, other slaves would push the carts out of the mine to the factory. At key points around the room were several guards dressed like the foreman, carrying whips and other weapons. The men knew the slaves were suffering, but ignored their condition and force them to continue working.   
  
An enslaved humanoid Pokemon, Machamp, waited behind a mine cart for the foreman's signal. Machamp dug his four muscular arms in, rolling his cart through the sole entrance to this chamber, and then uphill. Despite Machamp being naturally strong and having a buffed body, the effects of improper nourishment took its toll. The foreman grew impatient with Machamp's slowness and lashed his whip into the Pokemon's back painfully. Machamp had already taken several lashings in the past, and this new lashing added a new wound to his scarred backside.   
  
"Lazy Pokemon! You are here to work, not rest!" screamed the foreman.   
  
After what seemed to be an eternity, night fell, and the slaves were returned back to their homes. Little did they know that this night would be their last under Kanto's oppression. As the slaves slept, the heroes and guerrillas from the Liberators prepared to assault the camp. Matt, in camouflage for this mission, took a spotting position behind some bushes. The rest of his team followed behind him and hid in the same bushes and looked upon the camp.   
  
Mimi cringed at sight of her uniform: "Ugggh... What an ugly uniform!"   
  
"This isn't a fashion show, Mimi!" chided Matt.   
  
"At least they could make better looking uniforms..."   
  
The camp had an unpleasant aura, one that was different from the sensation of danger. "Can you feel it, everybody?" asked Matt. "It's like I can feel the pain of the people in the camp."   
  
Misty focused and could feel a similar sensation. "Yeah, I know what you mean."   
  
Ash focused as well. "Hang in there, guys," said Ash in his mind. "We'll save you."   
  
Ash, Misty, Matt, and Mimi were members of the rescue team positioned on the north side. The other members included the rest of the Pokemon trainers, and a few guerrillas. They continued to spy on the camp under the cover of the foliage. Through binoculars, they could see the watchtowers and the homes. To get to them, they'd have to get past the towers and through the fence. The others were responsible for creating a diversion, moving the camp's attention away from the rescue team.   
  
On the south side, the diversionary team was preparing to move out. In addition to various Liberators, this team was made of the Digidestined with the exception of Matt and Mimi. From their hidden position in the forest, they could see the fence, watchtowers, and a building with an antenna on its roof. Their main goal was to wipe out this building; the communications centre of the camp. Without it, the enemy would be cut off from the rest of Kanto, unable to call for reinforcements during the attack.   
  
"Is everyone in position and ready?" Surge received several answers in the affirmative. "Ok, then, let's go! B-team, move in! Hit'em hard, and hit'em fast!"   
  
"Agumon, Digivolve to... Greymon! Greymon, Digivolve to... Metal Greymon!"   
  
"Gomamon, Digivolve to... Ikkakumon! Ikkakumon, Digivolve to... Zudomon!"   
  
"Biyomon, Digivolve to... Birdramon! Birdramon, Digivolve to... Garudamon!"   
  
"Tentomon, Digivolve to... Kabuterimon! Kabuterimon, Digivolve to... Mega Kabuterimon!"   
  
"Patamon, Digivolve to... Angemon! Angemon, Digivolve to... Magna Angemon!"   
  
"Gatomon, Digivolve to... Angewomon!"   
  
Metal Greymon flew high in the air and took aim. "Giga Blaster!"   
  
A pair of missiles swooshed out of the launcher grafted into Metal Greymon's chest. They soared into the communications centre with determined faces, and tore the building to pieces in a massive, brilliant explosion. The attack woke up the slaves and especially the sleepy guards. An alarm klaxon blared deafeningly, alerting everyone in the camp about the surprise aerial attack. In the barracks, several guards scrambled for their weapons.   
  
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Return fire!"   
  
The guns of the enemy banged sporadically with each bullet fired. A guard rushed out of the barracks bearing a rocket launcher. The soldier crouched, took aim, and pulled the trigger on Metal Greymon. Smoke erupted from the launcher's rear, and with a loud swoosh, the rocket shot out of the launcher. The soldier watched as his rocket homed in and made a direct hit on his target's ribs. As the smoke cleared, Metal Greymon was still airborne and unfazed by the hit.   
  
The soldier was surprised. "No effect?"   
  
The soldier dove for cover as a second pair of missiles swooshed out of Metal Greymon's chest. Behind the soldier, the missiles exploded into a massive conflagration, and dirt erupted into the air. At the north side, the rescue team watched several plumes of flame flash in the distance. Metal Greymon flew above the air, bombing the enemies on the ground. Periodically, a series of bangs from gunfire would rip through the sky. This was their cue to move out and get the slaves.   
  
"That's the sign!" said Matt. "Gabumon?"   
  
"On it! Gabumon, Digivolve to... Garurumon! Garurumon, Digivolve to... Were Garurumon!"   
  
"You too, Palmon!" said Mimi.   
  
"Right! Palmon, Digivolve to... Togemon! Togemon, Digivolve to... Lillymon!"   
  
The two Digimon each made a beeline for one of the watchtowers. Were Garurumon blindsided the firing guard in his tower with a chop to the back of the head. The guard's firing ended abruptly as he crumpled to the ground in a heap. Lillymon fired a round of Flower Cannon energy into the back of the guard in her tower. The guard dropped his gun as he tumbled off the tower to the ground below.   
  
"The enemy snipers are down, let's go in!" ordered the team leader.   
  
In unison, the Pokemon trainers released Pokemon for protection. Out of the Pokeballs appeared Brock's Geodude, Misty's Poliwhirl, Casey's Bayleef, Tracey's Scyther, and May's Torchic. Ash's Pikachu leapt from his trainer's head and onto the ground in preparation for the rescue. After destroying the fence with a Typhlosion's Flamethrower, the Liberators ran ahead with their Pokemon and secured their assigned areas. The trainers and their Pokemon moved in and entered into a confrontation with guards attempting to maintain control over the slaves.   
  
"Bayleef, Vine Whip the guards!" ordered Casey.   
  
"Torchic, follow with Flame Thrower!" ordered May.   
  
Bayleef complied and from her neck extended a pair of vines. They lashed out at the guards like living whips, creating welts all over their bodies. Once the whipping was finished, Torchic sprayed roaring gouts of flame from her open beak. The soldiers' guns melted from the sheer intensity of the heat, and their uniforms caught on fire. In desperation, they struggled to douse the flames through any means necessary.   
  
"Everybody, we're here to free you! This way!" cried Ash to the slaves.   
  
The slaves passed by Brock and Geodude, who were engaged in an intense battle. "Geodude, Rollout!"   
  
"Geodude! (Yeah!)" replied Geodude.   
  
Geodude curled himself into a ball and began to spin. He picked up speed and rolled towards his foe, Arcanine. At the last minute, Arcanine leapt out the way, causing Geodude to overshoot his target. Upon the guard's order, Arcanine sprayed a Flamethrower, and Brock felt discomforted by the sweltering heat. The flames parted as they struck Geodude's stony body, but the heat still caused him discomfort and broke his Rollout.   
  
"Brock, do you need help?" yelled Ash.   
  
Geodude entered into a combat stance. "I'm fine, just get the slaves to safety!" replied Brock.   
  
The slaves made a run past Ash and to the opening in the fence. Immediately, several transport trucks abruptly stopped at the hole. These trucks had the same mottled green camouflage pattern of the heroes' uniforms. Ash helped to load the slaves onto the trucks for evacuation, and once done, the truck sped away to safety. Ash ran back to help more slaves to escape to freedom and check up on Brock.   
  
Ash spotted Brock and Geodude emerging from a shack with a Machamp in their arms. "What happened Brock? Hey, that's a Machamp, right?"   
  
====================Pokedex====================  
Name: Machamp   
Type: Fighting   
Evolved From: Machoke   
  
The Superpower Pokemon. This Pokemon is one of the strongest Pokemon in existence with respect to raw physical strength. His arms can deliver a series of crushing chops and punches in the blink of an eye.   
==============================================   
  
Brock was struggling to move the massive girth of Machamp. "Grrr, it burns me up seeing how they treated their slaves. Look at Machamp's back!"   
  
Ash did as his friend asked and growled in anger. "They did the same thing to mom!"   
  
Machamp groaned painfully: "Ma... (Ow...)"   
  
"Don't worry, Machamp," assured Brock. "You are free!"   
  
Brock, Geodude, and Ash helped carry Machamp back for medical treatment. At the south, the bodies of enemy Pokemon and Digimon were strewn on the ground. All that remained of the head office and communications centre were piles of rubble and small flames. Zudomon looked around to and spotted his the weapons factory. He promptly approached and smashed a gaping hole into the building.   
  
Inside he saw several things that one would normally find in a typical factory. There were conveyor belts running along the length of the factory. Each belt fed into and left a machine with an unknown purpose. Zudomon smashed the building further, and reveal a storage room filled with crates. One of the crates was opened and he could see automatic weapons stacked up inside. Ripping a hole into the basement, Zudomon found the Prison of Despair attached to a power generator.   
  
Something from behind slammed into Zudomon's back, toppling him into the factory. "Ow..." groaned Zudomon.   
  
The factory's cement walls cracked under Zudomon's massive girth, and crumbled into rubble. A white cloud of dust rose and covered Zudomon's body. As the dust cleared, he got up and made eye contact with his assailant. The assailant was a muscular Digimon with a blue skinned body wrapped in chains. A mask designed to resemble a skull covered his face, and a similar design was on his boots. His body was completely engulfed in blue hot fire, as was the chain he brandished in his hands.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Skull Meramon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Metal Fireball, Flame Chain   
  
This Digimon's body burns blue hot and is dangerous to touch. His heat is so intense that it can melt steel as though it was just butter.   
====================================================   
  
Joe watched the confrontation from a distance. "Let him have it Zudomon! Don't let him get away with it!"   
  
Skull Meramon made the first move. "Metal Fireball!"   
  
He opened his maw and spit a wad of glowing molten metal. Zudomon attempted to sidestep leftwards to dodge, but some of it caught his right arm. Smoke rose and the smell of burning flesh entered Zudomon's nostrils. As Zudomon grimaced in pain, a lash from Skull Meramon's Flame Chain caught Zudomon's chest. The walrus man Digimon stumbled backwards before he landed on his back.   
  
"Now you're making me mad!" growled Zudomon. "Vulcan's Hammer!"   
  
Zudomon smashed his hammer hard into the ground with a clang, and the crackling of electricity. The arrow-shaped energy wave steamrolled Skull Meramon with a blow to the chest. The ground rumbled as Zudomon charged forth with his hammer ready to strike. Skull Meramon dodged the first overhead blow, but the second came from the left like a blur. It was a bone-crushing hit to the head that disoriented Skull Meramon.   
  
Skull Meramon wobbled around in a daze and unaware of what was happening. Zudomon grabbed Skull Meramon by the neck and tossed him into the weapons factory. The flaming man Digimon landed chest-first, crushing the Prison of Despair under his weight. The roof of the factory gave out, burying Skull Meramon alive under rubble. The other Digidestined celebrated Zudomon's victory and the destruction of a Stone of Doom.   
  
"Alright Zudomon! One down, seven to go!" cheered Joe. 


	13. Desperately Seeking Suicune, part 1

Kell Shock:   
Izzy's going to talk this issue over with Gennai this chapter.   
  
  
  
Luis:   
There will be other Pokemon trainers helping out with the war effort in the Pokemon World. The Digital World is accounted for by the forces of the Sovereigns. I will not be using any material from movies after the Entei/Unown one. Jessie, James, and Meowth will be appearing later on, but I won't be bringing in Melody.   
  
  
  
AnT:   
Yeah, I read some of his work and it's nice.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 12: Desperately Seeking Suicune, part 1   
  
  
  
  
  
Over the next few days, the Liberator camp was bustling with activity. Though the slaves were free, many still needed to be tended to by servicemen and servicewomen. The heroes split up to do their part. In the medical tent, several beds were set up in neatly arranged rows. On each bed was a person or Pokemon wounded during the attack on Kanto's slave camp. Their bodies were covered by bloodied bandages and the medics tended to them each in turn. Ash, Misty, Brock, May, and Joe were checking up on Delia and the Machamp that Brock had rescued.   
  
"Here's your tea, Ms. Ketchum!" greeted Joe to Delia.   
  
Delia was still recovering from her injuries. "Thanks!" Joe brought his cup to Delia's lips in order to help her drink.   
  
"Are you okay, Mom?" asked Ash.   
  
"I'm fine!" replied Delia happily, but meekly. Delia's expression changed to one of regret. "I so sorry, Ash... I always worry about what is happening to you, but now, I'm the one who made you worry about me..."   
  
"Oh, Mom," said Ash as the two hugged. "Don't be sorry. You're okay now, that's all that matters."   
  
"I know I can't stop you from leaving, but please stay safe for me."   
  
"I will, Mom. We'll fight to make the world a better place!"   
  
The heroes finished their visit to Ash's mom, and turned their attention to the Machamp. He had recovered quite rapidly due to his Pokemon physiology. Brock pulled out a tub, and offered the brown morsels of food within to Machamp. This food was a recipe invented by Brock himself. Machamp smelled the morsel of food, and then popped it into his mouth. Machamp loved the spongy texture and meaty taste of the food. It didn't take long before he chowed down the rest of his meal in joy.   
  
"Like the food, Machamp?" asked Misty.   
  
"Ma! (Yeah!)" he replied with a smile.   
  
"Wow, Brock! You really know how to make Pokemon food!" complimented Joe.   
  
"Thanks!" replied Brock. "I'm in training to be the world's best Pokemon breeder, so I need to make the most nutritious Pokemon food possible."   
  
"Yeah, Brock's cooking is the best!" said Ash. "He makes sure our Pokemon get the best food possible."   
  
Machamp suddenly got up. He flexed his muscles and said something in Pokemon language to Brock. "Machamp says he wants you to be his new trainer!" said Gomamon, translating Machamp's words.   
  
"Really?" asked Brock, out of joy and shock.   
  
"Ma! (Yeah!)" replied Machamp affirmatively.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The two combatants met at the side of a lake near the Liberator camp. The first warrior was Machamp himself, eyeing his opponent with the focus and intensity of a professional athlete. Machamp's opponent, Brock, returned a similar gaze, analyzing the strengths and weakness of Machamp. Ash, Misty, May, and Joe watched from the sidelines in anticipation of a move from either warrior.   
  
Brock released his Pokemon. "Go, Onix!"   
  
In a flash of red energy, a stony serpent materialized before Brock. "So, Brock's using Onix..." mumbled Ash.   
  
"Onix's stony skin should help against Machamp. It looks like Machamp can't do much other that simple punches and kicks," commented May.   
  
"Actually, Machamp has the type advantage," corrected Ash. "He's a Fighting type, which is strong against a Rock type like Onix."   
  
"Brock made a bad choice then..."   
  
"Not quite... Machamp may have the type advantage, but Brock believes his Onix had better training than Machamp. He's betting on that to give him the win."   
  
Brock made the first move. "Onix, Wrap Machamp!"   
  
The Rock Snake Pokemon lurched forward, but Machamp evaded with a hop to the right. Machamp found an opening, and smashed the base of Onix's body with a Low Kick. Onix fell onto his left, and Machamp pressed the attack with a leaping Karate Chop. Onix suddenly rolled out of the way, causing Machamp to miss, and returning to a vertical stance.   
  
"Tackle Attack!" cried Brock. In compliance, Onix rammed the Superpower Pokemon headfirst and knocked him onto his back with a thud. "Now, try the Wrap again!"   
  
Onix lurched forward, this time entwining his stony body around his foe. Onix began to squeeze his victim with all his strength, crushing the life out of the Superpower Pokemon. After a brief, but difficult struggle, Machamp was able to free his right arm. He began to punch a section of the Rock Snake Pokemon's body, but due to his position, he couldn't put full power into his blows. Mustering sheer will power, Machamp landed a hard punch and finally broke the hold. However, the Wrap attack had taken its toll on Machamp...   
  
"Onix, Tackle attack again!" ordered Brock.   
  
Onix charged his foe again, and Machamp was still weakened from the Wrap attack. Onix scored a direct hit to Machamp's gut, knocking him onto one knee. Brock could feel victory approaching, ordering Rock Throw as a finishing strike. The dirt split open as Onix scooped several boulders out of the ground and then flung them into his tired foe. Machamp was sprawled unconscious on the ground, half buried under the boulders.   
  
Brock threw a spare Pokeball. "Pokeball go!"   
  
The Pokeball struck Machamp's fallen body and drew him in with a burst of red energy. The Pokeball flashed red and shuddered once, twice, and then a third time before becoming still. Brock took the Pokeball and thrust it into the air triumphantly, announcing Machamp's capture to the world. Everyone was thrilled with Brock's success.   
  
"Yeah, Brock!" cheered the others.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The heroes met with Lt. Surge and Izzy a few days later. "I have received a message from Gennai regarding the Stones of Doom," began Izzy.   
  
"I goofed up didn't I?" asked Gomamon, hanging his head in shame. "I should've tried harder to avoid letting the Stone get destroyed..."   
  
"Don't worry about that," dismissed Izzy. Gomamon raised his head in surprise. "Gennai told us that we shouldn't risk our lives just to save the Stones. If we do manage to retrieve a Stone of Doom, we should contact him and he'll do the rest. Otherwise, just let it go and let Gennai know that the Stone isn't coming back."   
  
"Okay that settles that issue," continued Surge. "Now for the other Stones of Doom. As I said, some of these things are in Johto as well as Kanto. We can cover more ground if we split up into groups to find them."   
  
The heroes discussed the break up of the groups. They decided on having only two groups as dividing into many groups would dilute each group's strength too much. Mephistomon would be expecting attacks on the remaining Stones, and they were sure to be well protected. One team was to meet up with allies in Johto and begin the search there. The other team would stay behind in enemy territory and search Kanto for the other Stones.   
  
"I will lead Team Kanto," volunteered Surge. "Our allies are based in Goldenrod and it would be wise to have someone familiar with that place to head the Johto team."   
  
"I'll do it!" offered Ash. "I've been to Goldenrod to earn my Plain Badge, so I know my way around there."   
  
"Okay Ash, you've got the job!" agreed Surge. He turned to face the others. "Now, who else will join Ash in Johto?"   
  
"We might run into some dark Digimon over in Johto. Patamon will be a great help, so I'll go there too," said TK.   
  
"They might need someone older there, so I'm coming too," said Joe.   
  
"I'm going too. I still have many things to learn from Ash!" declared May.   
  
"If she's going, then I'm going too!" stated Misty defiantly.   
  
"Okay, we need only two more people to join Team Johto. Any takers?" Sora and Mimi both volunteered for the job. "Okay, that's it. Everybody else is coming with me."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Team Johto were dropped off in a hidden area near the fence on the Johto-Kanto border. Surge's words resounded in the minds of the team: "You kids are too suspicious; Kanto will never allow you guys to leave the country. Therefore, you must sneak in. Our boys will drop you off near the border fence. Cut through this fence and make your way to New Bark Town on foot."   
  
Ash released his Cyndaquil, an earlier evolutionary form of Typhlosion. Flames jetted out of the holes on Cyndaquil, lighting up the dark blue fur on his back. Cyndaquil followed Ash's order to use Flamethrower, breathing roaring flames out of his mouth. The fence melted like butter, leaving a gaping hole where metal wires once were. Team Johto ran through, making sure that they weren't spotted.   
  
"Once in New Bark Town, make your way to the Pokemon Centre. Our agent will meet you there. He'll tell you that 'Professor Elm is such a genius.' Respond by saying 'Elm built his lab here' and he'll take you to Goldenrod to meet the leader of our Johto chapter."   
  
The Johto team waited patiently in some seats in the New Bark Town Pokemon Centre's lobby. A man in a dark grey suit entered the Centre and looked around. He looked like a business man and wore a stylish pair of designer shades. The man himself had dark brown hair, and looked to be in his early thirties. The man spotted the members of Team Johto and struck a conversation with Ash.   
  
"I heard there was famous Pokemon researcher living here. Professor Elm is such a genius," complimented the man.   
  
Ash recognized the man's code phrase. "Yeah, Elm built his lab here."   
  
"So he did.... Anyways, come with me and I'll show you our buddies."   
  
The man led the group to the airport and gave them tickets to a flight to Goldenrod. As Ash gazed upon the concrete jungle of the city, he thought back to how his adventure started so long ago. He thought back to the excitement of seeing the Digital World with his own eyes. It was ironic that he was sent back to Goldenrod to begin all over again. This time, everything was on the line, and worlds will fall if Ash and his friends failed their task.   
  
The Liberator agent led Ash and company to an office inside the Goldenrod department store. Behind the desk was the owner of the store himself. He was a man in his early forties, with greying hair and a moustache. He was in a neat and tidy grey business suit and wore a pair of glasses. It was evident that this man was fairly well off, and successful. The man eagerly waited as everyone filed into his office.   
  
"Hi kids, you can call me Mr. Smith," greeted the man. "I'm kind of surprised that you're just kids, but if Lt. Surge says you're good, I'll believe him. I heard you helped nail that concentration camp a few days ago."   
  
"Yeah," responded Joe.   
  
"It's sickening that Kanto is using slavery. Anyways, we were told to look for some items called the 'Stones of Doom,'" reported Smith.   
  
"Did you find anything?" asked Sora.   
  
"Sadly no, we're still looking, " lamented Smith. "We have recorded some news stories yesterday you should see. They've got a report on the state of the war in Hoenn."   
  
Smith pulled out a remote control to the TV set mounted in the wall to his right. A recorded copy of yesterday's news came on. The anchor woman announced that the Kanto army had entered Lavaridge Town. The video clip showed Lavaridge to be a small, quiet town with an old Japanese style. It was known for its hot springs, and thus the perfect tourist trap. However, the war shattered the peace with gunshots ripping through the air each second, and glowing orange tracer rounds flying back and forth.   
  
In another part of the battle, several evolved Kanto Pokemon marched onto the field to meet the enemy. These Pokemon were not normal, having black skin and fur instead of their usual colour. The Pokemon trainers knew something was very amiss with these Pokemon. The camera panned to a terrifying close up of a black Charizard. Its face was contorted by an expression of pure hatred and rage.   
  
Misty cringed in fear. "Ash had a Charizard, but I never thought they could look so evil!"   
  
"Pokemon are supposed to be cute, cuddly things, not evil monsters!" said Mimi.   
  
"This is the work of a Stone of Doom," declared Joe. "There must be a lab somewhere that's making these black Pokemon."   
  
The news turned to a clip of the President of Johto giving a speech to the nation. "Mr. President, critics have slammed your insistence on maintaining Johto's neutrality, in light of Kanto's continued aggression against Hoenn. How would you respond to them?" asked a reporter.   
  
Several flashes went off from cameras photographing the President. "Johto has always been a neutral nation. Our nation prides itself on not getting involved in conflicts. If we take part in the war, we throw our integrity to the wind."   
  
The President's words did little to reassure anyone, especially Ash. "It sounds like he cares more about his country's rep," commented Mimi.   
  
"Yeah, and a lot of Johto's people agree with him," sighed Smith, as he shut off his TV. "Since we don't know anything yet, why don't you go to Ecruteak to earn a Badge? Surge told me that some of you are looking to enter the Johto League competition."   
  
"Yeah, that's me!" exclaimed Ash.   
  
Smith pulled a set of plane tickets out of his pocket. "Here are some plane tickets for a round trip to Ecruteak. Think of them as a reward for helping take out that slave camp!"   
  
Ash was ecstatic. "Wow! Thanks a lot!"   
  
"Pika! (Cool!)" said Pikachu.   
  
Smith pulled a set of cell phones out of his desk drawer. "Also, take these phones. You can use them to keep in touch. All the numbers are written on the phone. If anything comes up, I'll call you guys. Go get'em!"   
  
"Thanks!" replied Ash. "Okay guys, we're going to Ecruteak City!"   
  
After a few hours, Team Johto was approaching Ecruteak City by airplane. The city itself had a style similar to that of old Japan. The houses were made of wood, and had triangular roofs made of black shingles. Ecruteak was a fairly quiet city in appearance, and a good place to go to for a vacation. It lacked the hustle and bustle of a big city such as Kanto's Saffron City, or Johto's own Goldenrod City.   
  
Unknown to the Johto team, a mysterious Pokemon was lurking in a forest clearing below. This Pokemon had a lean, dog-like body with watery blue fur. On the sides of its body were white, diamond-shaped markings. Its two tails whipped around like white ribbons being blown by the air. The Pokemon turned his head upwards to look at the jet liner. The wind picked up, blowing his violet mane into the hexagonal hole in his elongated headdress. Seemingly satisfied, the Pokemon leapt into the forest and vanished.   
  
Ash and company disembarked from their plane. "Hey Ash, you're going straight for the Gym with Misty and May, right?" asked Joe.   
  
"Uh yeah..." said Misty, wondering what was going on.   
  
"Why do you ask?" wondered Ash.   
  
"I was thinking, while you're at the Gym, why don't you let us check around to see if there are any clues?" suggested Joe.   
  
Ash was hesitant. "Sounds great, but I feel like I'm avoiding my responsibilities..."   
  
"Nah... Besides, the people might respond better to us since we're a bit older," noted Joe. "After you're done, we'll meet back at the Gym."   
  
"Okay, that sounds like a plan!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
A few minutes later, a young man approached the door of the Ecruteak Gym. Clad in a red bow tie and a neat purple suit, this man resembled a magician. His hair was short and brown, with one of his bangs hanging downwards between his eyes. This man was known as Eusine, and he was a major fan of the Legendary Pokemon, Suicune. A Gym caretaker showed him in and brought him to the battling area.   
  
Already, a heated battle was taking place between two combatants. The first fighter was a teenager with a grunge look. His shirt had long sleeves and was light blue with large yellow bands. His hair was brown, and partially covered by a light blue headband. This boy was the Gym Leader, Morty, and on his side was a violet ghost Pokemon, Gengar. Morty was preoccupied and didn't notice Eusine watching from the sidelines.   
  
Morty's opponent was none other than Ash Ketchum, but Eusine didn't recognize the boy. Ash was directing his Pokemon, the owl-like Noctowl. Ash gave Noctowl the order to employ the Psychic type attack Confusion. Instantly, Noctowl's eyes glowed ethereal blue, and a similar glow enveloped Gengar's body. Suddenly, Gengar slammed into the roof! Gengar winced in pain before plummeting back onto the ground.   
  
The referee looked over Gengar's condition. "Gengar is unable to continue! Ash is the winner!"   
  
Ash was elated. "Awesome!"   
  
"Pika! (Yeah!)" agreed Pikachu.   
  
Morty handed a ghost-like Badge to Ash. "Here's the Fog Badge, Ash. You've earned it!"   
  
Ash thrust the Badge into the air victoriously. "Ha ha! I won a Fog Badge!"   
  
"Hey Morty!" called Eusine.   
  
"Oh, hi Eusine! When did you get in?" asked Morty.   
  
"Oh, just a few minutes ago. I was watching the ending of your Pokemon battle."   
  
"Still looking for Suicune?"   
  
"Yeah, I heard rumours of many Suicune sightings here in Ecruteak. It's kind of strange though... Pokemon like Suicune don't usually show themselves this much. I wonder if these sightings are an omen of some kind..." pondered Eusine.   
  
Ash, Misty, and May approached the two. "Hey, sorry about eavesdropping, but I heard you two talking about Suicune," began Ash.   
  
"Yeah, there have been rumours of Suicune lurking around Ecruteak," informed Eusine. "Suicune is a Legendary Pokemon that I want to catch."   
  
Morty directed his friends to a study filled with books on Pokemon legends. He opened a book to an entry on Suicune. The right page had pictures of three dog-like Pokemon below a fiery bird. The artists designed their pictures of the Legendary Pokemon to have a very mystical, fairytale-like appearance. On the left page was writing describing the Pokemon themselves.   
  
"That's Suicune," explained Morty, as he pointed to the picture of a sleek dog on near the bottom. Suicune had a flowing appearance, like that of water.   
  
Morty gave a lecture on Suicune to Ash, Misty, and May. Suicune was the representation of the north wind. He was the creation of another Legendary Pokemon, the phoenix-like Ho-oh. Ho-oh was waiting for the time when the hearts of humans and Pokemon were one. Ho-oh created three servants, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune himself to keep watch and inform Ho-oh when that time came. Suicune was a Water type Pokemon according to legend, but had many Ice type powers as well.   
  
Ash looked at the picture and recognized him. "Hey, I saw that Pokemon!"   
  
"You saw Suicune?" asked Eusine, raising his voice in disbelief.   
  
"Yeah!" replied Ash. "I saw him on my way to New Bark Town to enter the Johto League."   
  
Eusine was indignant. "Suicune only shows himself to the most worthy trainers! You can't possibly have seen him! I challenge you to a battle!"   
  
Ash was dumbfounded but agreed to the battle anyways, and the two met at the battling area. "I still don't understand why you're doing this."   
  
Eusine released his Pokemon onto the field of battle. The Pokemon had a yellow, humanoid body and stood about the height of a young child. He had an almost dragon-like head with a long, drooping moustache. In his hands was a pair of silver spoons which he held like a pair of magic wands. The Pokemon was an Alakazam, and his eyes were filled with determination. Ash promptly scanned the creature.   
  
====================Pokedex====================   
Name: Alakazam   
Type: Psychic   
Evolved From: Kadabra   
  
The PSI Pokemon, Alakazam has brain power rivalling that of supercomputers. This enables Alakazam to remember anything they ever learn.   
==============================================   
  
"My Alakazam is trained to punish anyone who would soil the name of Suicune! Now Ash, it's time to battle!"   
  
"Alright! Pikachu, you're up!" Pikachu leapt off his trainer's shoulder and took a fighting stance opposite Alakazam.   
  
Before anyone could act, one of the Gym's caretakers rushed in. "Everybody get out!"   
  
Suddenly, a deafening explosion ripped through the air, blowing one of the Gym's walls open! A huge cloud of dust blanketed the room. Everyone was momentarily disoriented and coughing. The roof began to give way, prompting Alakazam to create a dome of ethereal Psychic energy. The PSI Pokemon successfully encased Eusine and Morty in its safety, just as the roof collapsed.   
  
"Everybody, in here!" called Eusine. Alakazam made an opening and Misty and May entered the safety of the dome.   
  
Ash spotted another pile of rubble about to land on Pikachu. "Pikachu!" Instinctively, he leapt onto his friend and into the rubble's path. The two were buried alive.   
  
Misty and May were shocked. "ASH!" 


	14. Desperately Seeking Suicune, part 2

AnT:   
Yeah, the same happened to me. What was the name of the fic? I'm building up their rivalry gradually, but expect to see more of it show up in the near future.   
  
I've been checking out the episode titles from Serebii.net. Did you know? It looks like they're going to bring Misty into Advance Generation! I'd love to see how Misty and May get along :)   
  
  
  
Kell Shock:   
The Legendaries have decided to take a behind the scenes approach to removing Mephistomon from power. Being Psychic isn't a good trait to have when confronting the Powers of Darkness.   
  
  
  
Luis:   
Yeah, I haven't found a good time to bring in Raichu yet, but trust me, he'll pop up eventually.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 13: Desperately Seeking Suicune, part 2   
  
  
  
  
  
"ASH!" cried Misty and May, desperate for a sign that Ash was still alive.   
  
"All we can do is hope he survived that cave-in!" said Morty. "We can't bring down this barrier, or else we'll end up like Ash!"   
  
"Where are they?" asked Misty, wondering where the Digidestined were.   
  
May pointed at the fiery glow between the cracks of the rubble. "It looks like a fire is outside! We have to get out soon!"   
  
"Ash! Misty! May!" cried an unknown person.   
  
"We're in here!"   
  
Dust rose into the air as a giant walrus Digimon cleared the rubble from Alakazam's barrier. It was Zudomon! Togemon and Birdramon soon came into view, and Alakazam gave a sigh of relief. The five trainers looked around to get their bearings. A terrible fire had broken out outside, and many buildings were engulfed by the flames. Since many buildings in Ecruteak were wooden or had wood in their structure, it gave ample fuel for the flames. The four Digidestined came onto the scene to assess everyone's condition.   
  
"Is everyone alright?" asked Sora.   
  
"No! Ash and Pikachu were buried under the rubble!" cried Misty.   
  
Zudomon dug his claws into the rubble, scooping piles of it away to reveal Ash lying down on his front. His body was covered in dust from the smashed wooden walls. As the Digidestined revived him, he let out a hacking cough from all the dust he had inhaled while being buried. Pikachu had a similar condition, and coughed to clear his throat. Much of the Gym had been destroyed by the explosion outside. The Digidestined and Digimon continued to pull people out of the debris, rescuing quite a few of the Gym's caretakers. Joe set up an area to tend to the injured.   
  
Joe performed a standard medical check up on Ash. "You alright Ash?"   
  
Ash made a series of coughs to clear his throat. "Other than a few bruises and the dust I breathed in, I'm fine. How's Pikachu?"   
  
"He's alright too. He's a little shook up, but he's okay."   
  
"Thank goodness!"   
  
"Take off your jacket. I'm going to apply some first aid to your wounds." Ash did as he was asked, and Joe began Ash's treatment. "Sit back and relax while you heal up."   
  
"What caused the explosion?" wondered Eusine.   
  
"A jet liner went down near the Gym!" replied a caretaker. "The explosion knocked down the north wall of the Gym. The Gym became unstable and then gave out and collapsed!"   
  
Morty looked around, finding only about a dozen police officers, firefighters, and paramedics had arrived. "That's it?" asked Morty, growing angry and frustrated. "Where are the rest of them? There should be more of them out here!"   
  
"I don't know, but some people have taken matters into their own hands to clean up this mess," answered the caretaker.   
  
Ash tried to get up to help but Joe stopped him. "Let the others take care of it!" urged Joe. "They can take care of it!" Ash could only growl in frustration.   
  
"Don't worry, Ash," said Misty.   
  
"We'll take care of things there like Joe says," assured May   
  
Ash sighed. "Alright, take my Pokemon with you." Ash reached into his pocket and held out the Pokeball that contained Totodile to May. "Use Totodile's Water Gun to put out the flames."   
  
Misty was annoyed. "Give me Totodile! I'm the Water Pokemon Master!" Misty took the Pokeball out of Ash's hand before he could react. Both May and Ash were speechless.   
  
The crashed jet liner had ignited many buildings around the area of the Gym. If anyone looked into the flames closely, they could make out the faint outline of the jet liner's remains. Suffocating clouds of thick black smoke poured from the burning wreckage and buildings, blotting out daylight. The air was thick, making it a chore to breathe and everyone was sweating profusely. Only the kindness of Good Samaritans stood in the way of the fire's spread to the rest of Ecruteak. The Pokemon trainers joined these people, positioning their Water types in a line to quell the voracious flames.   
  
"Totodile, Poliwag, Staryu, Water Gun!" commanded Misty.   
  
From the Pokemon's mouth spewed endless streams of pressurized water. Other people employed Rock and Ground type Pokemon to dump dirt to smother the flames. Torchic searched through the flames, taking advantage of her resistance to flame. She called to Birdramon in the air upon seeing a young couple coughing and lying on the ground. Birdramon swooped down and snatched them away from the flames. Birdramon dropped the couple off in a safe area, and the woman thanked her.   
  
"The fire's too strong!" cried Misty over the roar of the flames. "Our water isn't slowing it down!"   
  
Each other Digidestined and their monster partner helped as best they could. Zudomon reached into a flaming building and pulled out a group of trapped residents within. Alakazam encased a different group in a Psychic sphere and levitated them to safety. Gengar and Angemon airlifted a person under each of their arms out of the burning building. Togemon cleared a pile of wooden debris away and helped the man underneath to Joe's medical station.   
  
Finally after what seemed to be a long two hours, the blaring of more sirens filled the air. "Now they come!" commented Morty with indignant sarcasm. "Where were they two hours ago?"   
  
The firefighters began to execute their procedures to contain the fire. However, their delay proved costly, and allowed the fire to worsen and become more difficult to control. The firefighters positioned several Water type Pokemon in a firing squad, and gave the order to spray water. Even with the firefighters' help, the best everyone could manage was to check the spread of the fire. It was a standoff, and with time running out, the chances of saving survivors grew slimmer and slimmer.   
  
The sky overhead darkened as dark clouds blotted out the sun. Several drops of water began to fall from the sky, and its pitter-patter gradually increased in frequency. Soon, the small shower became a torrential rainfall, drenching the fires of burning Ecruteak. Everyone fighting the fire was grateful for the rain, believing it to be a miracle of some sort. The fires began to weaken and die down. The firefighters continued to spray water, and were able to finally put out the fire.   
  
Much of the peaceful city of Ecruteak was now ruins. The wooden walls of homes were charred into blackness as thin smoke trails rose upwards. Going towards the plane's wreckage, the damage to property gradually worsened. Homes and businesses at the fire's periphery suffered only minor charring. As one travelled closer the wreckage, many buildings had their interiors and walls burnt down. Buildings closer to the wreckage were reduced to piles of rubble either destroyed by the force of the explosion, or completely burned down by the ensuing fire.   
  
The Johto Team took some time to recuperate and get cleaned up. There faces were soiled black by the soot thrown around during the fires. They were aghast at how something like this could have happened. The authorities had jeopardized the welfare of many people with their lateness. They encountered the Ecruteak Fire Department Chief, who had the look of great anger on his face. He was screaming at the other firefighters loudly, and all they could do was to cower before his wrath. This was not a good time to approach the chief, especially if you were a late firefighter. The Johto Team looked on in curiosity, hoping the conversation would provide some answers.   
  
"Looks like those firefighters are getting it big time from the chief," commented TK.   
  
"DAMMIT! What took you guys so long to get here?" asked the chief.   
  
"We're sorry, but we were watching the game and..." responded the firefighter meekly.   
  
The chief was appalled. "You got here late because you were watching the football game?"   
  
"Yeah, we can't help it if the game was on right now!"   
  
The chief looked like he was going to explode. "Never have I seen such a gross display of negligence in all my years as Chief! Do you know how many people died because you were too busy watching the game?" The Chief was silent momentarily, as though expecting an answer. "What do you expect me to say? Because I'm not going to be the one to tell those men, women, and children being carried out on a stretcher!"   
  
"I'm still wondering why the plane went down in the middle of the city," said Misty. "Do you know, Officer Jenny?"   
  
"Not really. I heard some reports that the plane had engine troubles of some kind," replied Jenny. "They weren't confirmed though..."   
  
The rain died down, and the firefighters searched the area for more survivors. As expected almost everyone at Joe's hospice was there as a result of various degrees of burning. Many people were wrapped in bloodied bandages. Others had gross blisters on their skin, and still others were burned beyond recognition. It was a sad to see the victims, and hear their heart wrenching, agonized moans. Everyone paid Ash a visit to check out his condition, and Misty returned the Totodile she "borrowed" from Ash.   
  
"CUNE!" went a shrill cry that pierced the air! An unknown Pokemon leapt in front of the Johto team as though to start up a conversation. Many people gathered around to see what was going on.   
  
Eusine's jaw dropped. "Suicune!"   
  
Suicune began to speak and the Digimon provided a translation. "Cune! (Please, listen to my story!)"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the streets of Saffron City in Kanto, a massive parade was travelling down the streets. A glorious singing filled the air, as a series of armoured vehicles, from tanks to mobile missile launchers rolled down the street. Towards the front of the parade, was a flag bearer in a ceremonial military uniform. His flag bore the imposing image of a black mountain with a storm cloud above. A pair of black lightning bolts was striking the sides of the mountain. This symmetric image was imprinted on a background that was as red as blood.   
  
Hidden inside of a vacant alley, the rat-like Rattata watched the servicemen march down the street. He scurried away to warn his employer about the event he had witnessed. Rattata dashed through a puddle of stagnant water, making a splash that drenched his violet fur. Rattata reached a street south of where the parade was to find them devoid of people and cars. They were watching and cheering the parade instead, having been ordered to do so by their government. Upon reaching a designated area, a bird swooped down and transported Rattata to an awaiting Suicune outside of the city limits.   
  
Rattata reported his findings. "It seems the humans are at war," commented Suicune. "Petty human squabbles do not concern us Legendaries."   
  
A month later, a creature of unfathomable evil stood before the Legendary Birds of Kanto. The mountainous land was dark and lit up only by the lightning and the demon's glowing crimson eyes. A faint scurrying sound could be heard as frightened Pokemon fled the inevitable battle. At such a close distance, the demon could not cloak his presence from the senses of a trio of birds, each related to an element of nature. The beast's violet aura flared in the darkness of the night, as though in anticipation of battle.   
  
The three birds were the Legendary Birds themselves; the fiery Moltres, the icy Articuno, and the electrified Zapdos. They were prepared to battle to the bitter end to stop the demon's defilement of their land. The demon released a noxious black vapour from his goat-like mouth as he chuckled mockingly at the Legendary Birds. He was not afraid at all. He stepped forward to reveal a body covered by violet fur, and curled horns on his head. The expression on his face was that of amusement, finding the Legendary Birds' resistance attempt humorous.   
  
"So you show yourself, monster!" said Articuno.   
  
"Indeed..." replied the demon. "Do you really believe you can defeat the Powers of Darkness? You are nothing compared to me!"   
  
"We will not allow you to continue anymore!" said Moltres.   
  
"Too many Pokemon and humans have suffered at your hands!" added Zapdos. "We will defend our world, and we will fight to the bitter end!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
"Mephistomon," said Ash bluntly.   
  
"Cune... (It seems you recognize him. He killed the Legendary Birds...)" said Suicune remorsefully. "Cune, Cune! (A direct confrontation is too risky. His followers could be anywhere, and I'm taking a big risk just to speak to you!)"   
  
"So what did you do?" asked Morty.   
  
"Cune. (We guided humans to battle, but they are only able to slow the Evil One's advance.)" replied Suicune. "Cune! (As long as the artefacts of his evil exist, we can't win!)"   
  
"He must mean the Stones of Doom," suggested Patamon.   
  
"Cune! (So you know them! I am certain one of these artefacts of evil was behind the tragedy in this city.)"   
  
"What did you mean by 'guiding humans to battle'? Did you have something to do with the creation of the Hoenn Alliance?" asked Eusine.   
  
"Cune. (Yes, it was the work of our Psychics.)"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
In the sky, a hairless, cat-like Pokemon rapidly began to approach Kanto's airspace. Its alien figure was surrounded by the ethereal, blue glow of Psychic energy, which allowed his ability to fly. The figure was within range and began to scan the land of Kanto with his powers. A great dark pall dulled his Psychic senses, denying him any information about the land. He tried with his full power to pierce the pall, but the attempt resulted in a throbbing headache and forced him to give up. This Pokemon, Mewtwo, had confirmed his suspicions.   
  
"It is just as I feared. The darkness is spreading like a plague across the world. The invader has cut Johto and Kanto off," said Mewtwo mentally to himself.   
  
Mewtwo could feel a scream of gut wrenching pain from his telepathic link with his ally, Mew. "ARGGGGH!" gasped Mew.   
  
"Pull out!" demanded Mewtwo. "We can not afford more deaths like Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos in Kanto!"   
  
A serene, male voice came in on the telepathic link. Mewtwo recognized it as Lugia's. "What will we do now? The traits of us Psychic types make us powerless before the darkness. I must also continue my vigil over the world's weather alongside the Legendary Birds of the Orange Islands."   
  
A serene, female voice made itself known. It was Latias, a Legendary of Hoenn. "The Legendaries of Hoenn were either sealed away or went to sleep a long time ago. Only Latios and I remain."   
  
The similarly serene, but male voice of Latios entered the link. "I sense the Evil One's minions approaching! They are coming to conquer our lands!"   
  
"This is getting worse each day. What of Ho-oh and his children?" asked Mewtwo.   
  
"They are scouting Johto, but are staying hidden," replied Lugia. "The enemy has many agents in the dark lands. They must be careful not to attract their attention..."   
  
"If we can't confront the enemy himself, then let us find those who can. The whole world must resist the enemy, and not just us Legendaries," stated Mewtwo. "Lugia, use your powers to guide the humans of your lands to battle the enemy. Latios and Latias to assist you in Hoenn. Mew, go to other distant lands and do the same there. I will..."   
  
"Wait..." said Mew. He sensed a great, dark presence probing into the Legendaries' telepathic link. "The enemy has tapped our link! Run before he finds us!"   
  
Mewtwo broke the link and teleported as far away as he could. For two months, the Psychic Legendaries kept telepathic silence, and followed Mewtwo's plan to raise a resistance force against the darkness. Though the enemy was aware of their plan, he probably anticipated this happening from the beginning anyways. Nevertheless, they needed to gather everyone they could to resist him or all would be lost. Their plan was much more successful than they thought. In humankind they found many people willing to fight the darkness, since they were disgusted with the enemy's cruelty and invasion of Hoenn.   
  
Lugia tapped into the thoughts of an Orange Islands civilian watching the news. An image of an anchorwoman filled his mind. "The Prime Minister of the Orange Islands has declared a state of war today..." An image of several military sailors filled Lugia's mind. They were boarding a naval battleship in preparation to go to the frontlines.   
  
The children of Ho-oh, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou, were the only ones who could operate behind enemy lines with a degree of safety. This was because none of them had Psychic traits. They took the task of scouting Johto and Kanto as spies for the Legendaries. After a lengthy search, Suicune and Entei narrowed down two areas where the evil power was at its greatest. Raikou also found something of equally great importance, even though it was not directly related to the sources of evil. The three met Ho-oh in the wilderness outside of Ecruteak City to exchange findings.   
  
"What have you found my children?" asked Ho-oh.   
  
"There is a great darkness north and west of the place which the humans call the 'Johto National Park,'" reported Suicune. "The very elements themselves serve this darkness."   
  
"A similar darkness is near the Lake of Rage," reported Entei. "I can sense the torment from some of our kind within, and from those of the other world. In fact, I could sense the presence of the Legendary Birds within!"   
  
Ho-oh was surprised. "What?"   
  
"This surprised me too. However, like with many others there, the Evil One has infused a great, overpowering hatred within their hearts. I don't understand how they could be there, when other Pokemon have confirmed their deaths with their very eyes."   
  
"I suspect that this is the work of the Evil One's dark power," said Ho-oh. "Raikou what do you have to report?"   
  
"It was dangerous entering the enemy's domain, but I have news from Kanto. There was a source of darkness that was extinguished by an attack from human rebels. I have witnessed several beings from the other world fighting beside these humans," answered Raikou.   
  
"Interesting," remarked Ho-oh. "Those from the other world seek to oppose the Evil One as well."   
  
"We have made several discoveries and should share our information," stated Raikou. "I recommend that one of us make contact with those who oppose the Evil One!"   
  
"I agree," said Entei with conviction.   
  
"I agree as well, but I wish to be our emissary," offered Suicune.   
  
"Very well," agreed Ho-oh. "Tread carefully."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Everyone was surprised. "You know where the Stones of Doom are?" asked Sora in bewilderment.   
  
"Can you take us there?" asked Ash.   
  
"Cune, cune. (Yes! Get a vehicle and meet me in the wilderness south of the city.)" replied Suicune.   
  
"Why don't you let me take you there?" offered Officer Jenny. "I drive you there faster than you can walk."   
  
"Thanks Officer Jenny, we really appreciate it!" said Ash.   
  
"I'm coming too," demanded Morty. "From the stories Suicune told us, something big is going on that I've only begun to become aware of. I feel that this affects Pokemon everywhere, and as a Gym leader and trainer, I want to help."   
  
"He's not the only one," chimed Eusine. "I'm not about to let this chance to study Suicune escape, and I still want to capture him!"   
  
Suicune was displeased. "Cune! (I'm not some prize to be won, Eusine. Your attempts to capture me interfere with my duties as Ho-oh's servant. Leave me alone!)"   
  
"I think you'd better listen to him, Eusine," urged Morty.   
  
"He's right, I might have to arrest you if I catch you harassing Suicune," said Jenny with a hint of slyness.   
  
Eusine promptly changed his tune. "Alright, I'll leave him alone, at least for now..."   
  
"Good, now let's get you some cars to follow Suicune!" said Jenny cheerfully.   
  
Officer Jenny returned to her station and pulled some strings to provide cars to transport the Team Johto. The police cars raced after Suicune, who raced south and westward in the direction of the Johto National Park with the speed of a cheetah. The wilderness seemed to fly by, and the cool wind blew up the hair of the Johto Team. The journey took at least three hours, and ended with a stop at a forest rangers' station in the National Park. Apparently, Suicune led them here to take a brief rest before travelling the last stretch.   
  
Jenny waved goodbye to the Johto Team. "I have to go back to Ecruteak City. I told the rangers everything, and they will take care of you kids. Good luck and stay safe!"   
  
"Thank you Officer Jenny!" said Ash as he waved to Jenny's retreating car.   
  
An authoritative man in a dark green uniform greeted everyone. "Hi kids, Jenny told me everything. Take a break for awhile, before we drive you the rest of the way."   
  
After about half hour, the rangers continued the pursuit of Suicune in small jeeps designed for off-road usage. "We're leaving the borders of the National Park. How far is it?"   
  
"I don't know," admitted Ash. "We'll have to keep following Suicune until he stops."   
  
The trees of the forest seemed to speed past like blurs. Each part of the forest looked the same as the last, until the Johto Team saw a mountain closing in from the distance. This mountain had what looked like the opening of a cavern on its side, with an unknown fiery light was near its entrance. It was evident that Suicune was going toward this cavern. Suicune slowed down as he neared a clearing just before the mountainside. The jeep stopped a few feet behind the Legendary, and everyone disembarked and took in the sights and sounds of the forest.   
  
"Cune, Cune! (I must leave now, good luck!)" said Suicune, as he leapt away into the forest.   
  
"Wait!" cried Eusine.   
  
"Thanks for your help, Suicune!" said Misty as she waved goodbye.   
  
There were two unknown shapes milling about the entrance of the cavern. The first resembled a large red dragon bathed in crackling flames. Its body cast a fiery glow, lighting up the opening of the cavern. It left charred footprints with each step it took. The second shape resembled a tornado with a pair of eyes. It looked alive, and blew clouds of dust into the air with each movement it made. Both creatures looked very dangerous, and were sure to be hostile to any intruders. It was certain they were guarding a Stone of Doom.   
  
"What the hell are those things?" asked the ranger.   
  
"Are they some kind of new Pokemon or Digimon?" wondered Ash, as he tried to scan them. "I'm not getting anything from the Pokedex or the Digimon Analyzer."   
  
"They look like creatures made from the elements of nature," remarked Joe.   
  
"Didn't Suicune say something about the elements of nature guarding the Stone of Doom?" asked Mimi.   
  
"Yeah, he did," affirmed Sora.   
  
"So these things are Elementals?" asked the ranger.   
  
"A Fire Elemental and an Air Elemental," replied TK. "Where are the Earth and Water Elementals?"   
  
"They might be guarding the inside," suggested Biyomon.   
  
"Maybe. I don't see anyone else in the area," noted May. "Not that I want to fight all of them at once... Those two look pretty strong by themselves."   
  
Joe turned to the ranger. "Please let us handle these guys. Wait here until we're finished." The ranger agreed without argument. "So what's the plan?"   
  
"Maybe someone could distract those two while the rest go in," suggested May.   
  
Morty turned to Eusine. "If that's the case then I recommend you stay with the ranger, Eusine. From what Suicune has told us, Stones of Doom are harmful to Psychic types. If we get into trouble, we'll need someone to call for backup."   
  
Eusine was frustrated, but knew it couldn't be helped and accepted begrudgingly. "Grrrr... Alright, I really don't want to cause my Alakazam harm unnecessarily."   
  
"I'll distract the tornado," volunteered Morty. "Someone else has to get the dragon."   
  
"I'm a Water Pokemon expert! Fire is not problem for me. I'll take the lizard!" called Misty.   
  
"Okay Misty, but be careful; I don't want to see you to get hurt," said Ash. Misty smiled and felt glad that Ash cared so much.   
  
On the count of three, the two trainers rushed the Elementals with Staryu and Gengar. Staryu's Water Gun smashed the Fire Elemental, and steam rose out of the Elemental's body as its heat boiled the leftover water. It let out an inhuman grunt as it slammed into the mountainside. Gengar gathered darkness into a sphere and launched a Shadow Ball which nailed the Air Elemental between the eyes. The Elemental hit the ground, blowing up large clouds of dust. From the appearance in both Elementals' eyes, they seemed hurt, but also very angry and vengeful.   
  
"Okay let's go in!" directed Joe.   
  
The rest of the Johto Team and Eusine ran into the cave. They could still hear the sounds of the battle from within. The cave was dark, and the coldness made everyone shiver. Ash and May released their Fire type Pokemon, Cyndaquil and Torchic, to light the way and provide needed warmth. The movements of their flames made shadows that seemed to creep about eerily. The team reached a large underground chamber when the ground began to shake slightly.   
  
"What was that?" asked May as the quake subsided.   
  
"It seemed like a minor earthquake..." muttered Joe.   
  
After a brief pause, the shaking restarted with much more intensity. "This is the strangest earthquake I've ever felt!" said Ash, who was stuttering from the roiling and pitching of the ground.   
  
The earth under May suddenly burst open! "Aaaaah!" screamed May, as she was thrown high into the air. She hit the ceiling with her head and crashed onto the ground.   
  
"May!" called Ash in shock. She did not answer.   
  
The ground shook further as an intimidating, humanoid form burst out of the hole! It was a being made entirely of dirt, but seemed to have a life of its own. This creature, which was obviously the Earth Elemental, towered over the others at over ten feet tall. Its eyes were made of shards of an onyx-like gemstone, possibly fragments of whichever Stone of Doom was in the cave. Its face showed no expression as it lumbered towards them. The creature clearly intended to do harm, having already knocked May unconscious.   
  
"Now we know where the Earth Elemental is!" commented Joe.   
  
"Yeah, but I'm wishing it didn't know where we are right now!" replied Ash.   
  
"You guys," called Sora. "Go on you guys! Mimi and I will take it from here! Biyomon, let's do it!"   
  
Biyomon nodded. "Biyomon, Digivolve to... Birdramon!"   
  
"You too Palmon, Digivolve!" commanded Mimi.   
  
"Palmon, Digivolve to... Togemon!"   
  
"Meteor Wing!"   
  
"Needle Spray!"   
  
Birdramon and Togemon's attacks struck the backside of the massive dirt body of the Earth Elemental. It promptly abandoned chasing the others and turned on Birdramon and Togemon. The two Digimon knocked the Earth Elemental back, and its massive girth blocked the way back. Fortunately, Ash had grabbed May and carried her further into the cave, and away from the battle. The group advanced further until they came upon an underground lake. In the distance, they could see a pathway leading to a small island in the middle of the lake. Their target was there; a stone statue made of an unknown black gemstone.   
  
"There it is!" cried Ash. He then turned to Joe. "Is May going to be alright?"   
  
Joe diagnosed his patient's condition as Torchic looked on with sadness in her eyes. "May is out cold from having her head bumped into the ceiling. She'll be ok when she comes to."   
  
Instantly, Torchic seemed relieved as did Ash. "Take care of May," said Ash. "TK and I will get the Stone of Doom."   
  
"Okay but don't get smug like you tend to do!" called Joe.   
  
"Nah, don't worry! I can take care of myself!" dismissed Ash.   
  
The two heroes left May with Joe and turned their focus to the Stone of Doom. They walked along an earthen pathway leading to the island at the lake's centre. The Stone of Doom featured the scene of a furry creature reclining against a tree. TK recognized this creature as a sloth by recalling his lessons in zoology. The sloth's mouth was open in a wide, lazy yawn. In another part of the depicted scene, several animals were fleeing in terror from a raging forest fire. The sloth was unconcerned for its welfare, or that of the fleeing animals.   
  
"This is Negligence," stated TK, remembering the verse from the Curse of the Eight Dooms.   
  
The Stone suddenly radiated a deep violet glow. "Why's it glowing?" asked Patamon.   
  
"I don't know," said TK. Somewhere in the lake, the water began to bubble. "Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this..."   
  
"Okay let's get the Stone of Doom and get out of here!" Ash moved to lift the Stone, but suddenly gave up before even putting a finger on it. "It's too much work, why don't you do it, TK?"   
  
TK noticed Ash's odd reaction. "A minute ago, you were so gung ho on taking the Stone! Try to pick it up again."   
  
Ash tried again, but gave up like before. "I don't really feel like it." Elsewhere, a tentacle-like mass of water writhed its way through the lake towards Ash and TK.   
  
"I don't have that Curse like Izzy does, but I recall the part about a 'Sloth of Negligence.' This Stone must be it. It must have some kind of power to make people become lazy and irresponsible."   
  
"I wondered why I felt that way," said Ash pensively. "I was about to get the Stone, and all of a sudden, I just felt like giving up."   
  
"Yeah, you don't strike me as a quitter, Ash."   
  
Pikachu looked to his left and saw the water near him bubbling and frothing. He stared at the water, knowing that something was suspicious about it. Pikachu just couldn't put his mind on what. His trainer, TK, and Patamon were too busy deciding how to deal with Negligence to notice. Suddenly, a tentacle of water shot out of the lake and wrapped itself around Ash's leg! Ash screamed in terror as the tentacle pulled him off his feet and onto his back.   
  
Pikachu was alarmed. "Pikapi! (Ash!)"   
  
Ash struggled to break free, but the tentacle was too strong and dragged him into the water. "WAAAAAH! Blub blub blub!" After another struggle, Ash managed to get his head above the water. "Something's got my..."   
  
TK reached out to Ash, but Ash was pulled back into the lake. Whatever grabbed him was attempting to drown him to death. TK had to call on his partner for help. "Patamon?"   
  
"Got it! Patamon, Digivolve to... Angemon!"   
  
"Gomamon, help them out!" demanded Joe.   
  
"No problem! Gomamon, Digivolve to... Ikkakumon!"   
  
Where Patamon once stood was a radiant angel in white garb, whose eyes were concealed by his metal helmet. He lowered his staff to Ash, and the Pokemon trainer managed to grab it after struggling with the monster attacking him. Angemon pulled with all of his might, managing to pull Ash out of the water and save him from drowning. However, the monster continued to resist, and would not allow this to pass. It held on with a tentacle of water wrapped around Ash's legs. It was plain to see that the water making the tentacle was much darker that the lake's.   
  
Everyone could here a series of strained, inhuman grunts and groans coming from the lake. "Ash, pull harder! You can do it!" encouraged Angemon. "You're almost free!"   
  
"Harpoon Torpedo!"   
  
Ikkakumon dropped a barrage of depth charges into the lake. They exploded with several muffling bangs and booms, and splashed water everywhere and onto everyone. The creature was shoved around and fragmented into several droplets of water. It released a blood curdling screech of pain. The creature's grip on Ash was released, and Angemon easily pulled him to safety. He rushed back to Joe's location and everyone gathered to check each other's condition. At Joe's location, they were out of the creatures range and completely safe from its attacks.   
  
"Is everyone ok?" asked Angemon.   
  
"I'm fine," said Ash.   
  
The droplets coalesced into the creature's true form, and burst out the water. It resembled a huge squid whose body was made entirely of dark water. The creature's shape was not still, but rather, it seemed to shift as the water flowed around its body. The creature released a shriek of defiance, as though forbidding anyone from ever approaching Negligence. Its horrifying sight was unnerving, and they decided that it would be best to tread carefully. Ash was nearly drowned to death by the beast, and it was too great a risk to allow anyone to be placed in such a situation again.   
  
"The Water Elemental!" remarked TK.   
  
Ash had an idea. "Let's try some electricity! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"   
  
Lightning arced from Pikachu's cheeks, and surged into the Water Elemental's body. Its watery body proved to be a deadly conductor, passing thousands of paralyzing volts through its body. The creature screeched in pain as the lightning froze its body. After sustaining great damage, the Water Elemental burst into several droplets of water. Instantly, the lake's water began to coalesce again, and the creature reformed with no visible wounds. It was a frustrating experience for Ash to see his opponent go down, only to come back to life moments later.   
  
"We're not getting anywhere," said Joe. "That thing will just keep coming back to life if we try to kill it."   
  
Ash realized the gravity of the situation. "If this guy can reform, then the others might be able to too! We have to hurry!"   
  
TK looked at the creature pensively, remembering the events of their attack. "I think I found a way to beat that monster. When it reformed, I saw the Stone of Doom glowing. I think it was giving power to the Water Elemental so it could reform. If we get rid of it, all the Elementals will die for good!"   
  
"Good idea," remarked Ash. "...But it looks like we won't be sending this Stone of Doom back to Gennai. Oh well..."   
  
TK looked at the Stone of Doom then at the Water Elemental. "There's something I want to see first. Angemon, fire a Hand of Fate at the Stone of Doom."   
  
Angemon's fist glowed with Holy power. "Hand of Fate!"   
  
With a punch, a beam of Holy energy streamed forth. The beam was about to hit the Stone when at the last moment, the Water Elemental leapt in front of its path! The Elemental struggled to maintain its form as the beam grinded against its body. The Water Elemental's body gave out just as the beam subsided. Negligence was undamaged from the attack and remained intact. Angemon was surprised, but TK was satisfied with the results of his test. He only wanted to see how far the Elemental will go to defend its Stone.   
  
"The Water Elemental will even risk its own destruction just to protect the Stone of Doom," observed TK.   
  
"Since it can reform itself endlessly, killing it won't mean a thing. It'll just come right back to protect its Stone again," remarked Joe. "If any of us go near it, they'll just be pulled in and drowned like Ash was."   
  
Ash twisted his cap backwards, in preparation to get down to work. "This calls for some Pokemon trainer strategy! I have a plan." Everyone huddled together as Ash whispered the details of his plot. Everyone understood their role, and broke to set the plan into motion.   
  
"Okay Ikkakumon, let'em have it!" commanded Joe.   
  
Ash turned to his partner. "You too Pikachu, get ready!"   
  
"Harpoon Torpedo!"   
  
Ikkakumon unloaded a barrage of depth charges into the lake, some of which struck the Water Elemental. Like before, it burst into several droplets of water and began to reform. Ash was ready for this eventuality, and ordered a Thunderbolt aimed at Elemental's amorphous reforming mass. The lightning crackled as it flowed all over the creature's watery body. It unleashed a screech in pain, and desperately attempted to accelerate its reformation. However, the electricity worked as Ash predicted, and the creature's reformation was stalled. This was the opening TK and Angemon were waiting for.   
  
"Now Angemon, let'em have it!" said TK.   
  
"Hand of Fate!" Angemon threw a punch which released a searing beam of Holy energy.   
  
Suddenly, a portion of the Water Elemental leapt into the path of the beam. "Pikachu, more power!" called Ash.   
  
"Everyone, keep it up! We're almost there!" called Joe.   
  
The struggle continued, with Ikkakumon firing volley after volley of depth charges. Each explosion shook the lake, making it more difficult for the Elemental to draw water to reinforce its body. Pikachu's electricity surged through its body, effectively slowing its movements down. The Water Elemental was teetering on collapse, and the heroes were gaining ground. Angemon channelled all the power he could into his Hand of Fate, for one last push. His beam ripped through the Water Elemental's body and blasted the Stone of Doom into oblivion.   
  
The heroes exchanged a chorus of high fives. "Yeah, we did it!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Everyone left the cave in triumph. They found Misty and Morty outside, sitting on some rocks to rest. From the marks on the Pokemon, it was clear that they had suffered several wounds from the fighting. Poliwhirl's torso was slumped over, as though he had run a long marathon and was trying to catch his breath. Gengar was lying prone on the ground, and his chest rose up and down with each breath he took. A smile was on his face, and he was glad that the fight was over. The two Pokemon trainers noticed their friends coming out and went to celebrate with them.   
  
Misty wanted to see if Ash was alright. "Ash are you ok?" Her eyes turned to the person that Ash was carrying in his arms; May. Immediately, the green eyed monster reared its ugly head, and her joy turned to a scowl.   
  
It was the worst time possible for her to wake up, yet that was exactly what May did. She began to blush upon realizing her situation. "Oh Ash!"   
  
"Oh, Ash!" repeated Misty mockingly. In their concern for May, no one had heard her.   
  
Ash was relieved. "You're awake! You scared all of us when the Earth Elemental knocked you out!"   
  
"I'm feeling better!" Ash put May on her feet, but accidentally brushed his arm against the wound on May's head. "Ow, my head!"   
  
"Be careful, that bruise hasn't healed yet," warned Joe. "It will be sensitive for awhile, so be careful around it."   
  
May tried to walk by herself but was still having difficulty. "I'm still a little woozy, could you help me Ash?"   
  
"Sure," he replied. Ash held onto May and guided her back to the ranger's jeep. Misty could only fume silently as she watched the entire event. 


	15. Ignorance is Misery

Luis:   
I'll consider including Celebi, but I'm not going to make any promises.   
  
  
  
Gijinka Renamon:   
Yeah, the 9/11 attacks were my inspiration for Negligence's manifestation. I might use your characters, but they'd have fairly minor roles. The trainers like you described wouldn't know about the Stones unless one of the heroes or enemies told them.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 14: Ignorance is Misery   
  
  
  
  
  
The Kanto Team gathered in a briefing room inside of a camouflaged tent. The room was filled with charts and maps of Kanto. There was the chatter of several resistance members discussing what the mission might be, and tension was high. The Liberators were glad for their great victory at the concentration camp and the destruction of the Stone of Doom, Despair. However, the enemy would be much more vigilant in their defence of the remaining Stones. It would only get more difficult from this point on.   
  
Lt. Surge walked up to the front and began the briefing. "Okay troops, at ease. We've scored a big success by knocking out that concentration camp, and slowing the proliferation of weapons to Kanto's troops. We must continue to take the fight to Kanto."   
  
A beautiful brunette with short hair walked up to the front. She had a slender, but muscular build with fair skin. Despite her attractiveness, her tough, determined facial expression indicated that she was not one to be trifled with. Like the other Liberators, she was wearing camouflage army fatigues. She was as tough as any of her male comrades, and held a prominent role in the resistance. She was Electra; one of Surge's former Gym caretakers back in Vermillion City, and now one of the Lieutenant's underlings.   
  
"Our agents have located a Stone of Doom hidden inside a radio station in the heart of Lavender Town. Actually, it's more of a propaganda centre rather than a radio station. Play that tape, Lieutenant."   
  
Surge took over the briefing and played the recording of a subliminal message. We found this hidden in the radio broadcast produced at the propaganda centre. It was taken two weeks after Mephistomon gained control of the TV and radio stations." The inhuman, hypnotic voice of the recording was as soft as a whisper. "Obey the Empire! Destroy its enemies! Kill them all!"   
  
Surge shut off the recording and continued the briefing. "You wouldn't believe what hearing this crap does to people! Watch this tape."   
  
On the screen was an image of a mob of angry men and women outside of a building. Their vengeful screaming filled the air alongside the shattering of glass. Several members of the crowd lit Molotov cocktails and lobbed them into the building. One crashed through a glass window and ignited a fire within. Armed with a sledgehammer, another crazed rioter smashed the "Kanto Socialist Party" sign above the main entrance. The crowd behind him cheered with a victorious fervour as the sign tumbled down and shattered into pieces. The streets were the scene of a slaughter with the bodies of dead Socialists littered on the ground.   
  
Despite having already killed many Socialists, the mob was still unsatisfied. They dragged a male Socialist out and turned their ire upon him. The man's body was bruised, bloodied, and battered with baseball bats, planks of wood, and pipes. Other members of the mob watched the brutal beating and cheered with a joyous fervour once he was dead. The fire erupted with a loud boom, becoming a raging inferno and consuming the HQ of the Kanto Socialist Party. This violent event elicited another chorus of cheers from the crowd.   
  
"This happened just after a rally in downtown Saffron," noted Electra. "Such fanaticism can only be the work of the Stone of Doom. Izzy will take it from here."   
  
"The Stone of Doom we're up against is Ignorance," stated Izzy. He punched a few buttons on his laptop and brought up an intelligence picture of the Stone. "Ignorance manipulates a person's thoughts through subliminal messaging. That much we can deduce from the information available. Gennai warned me of its second, scary power; the ability to put up mental blocks. Once you believe the lies, you're trapped into believing them for as long as Ignorance exists."   
  
The assembly broke into a chorus of chatter over the insidious nature of Ignorance. "Quiet!" cried Surge. "We don't have to worry because we know the truth. Izzy, please continue."   
  
"Where I'm from, we have a saying for this. 'Ignorance is bliss.' In this case, I'd say Ignorance is misery." Everyone chuckled lightly at the irony of Izzy's joke. "We have to get rid of Ignorance if we are to free Kanto from Mephistomon's control."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Meanwhile in Pallet Town, it was late in the afternoon. A red truck with speakers on its roof was driving down the streets. On its chassis was the black symbol of the Kanto Empire; a mountain being struck by lightning from an overhead storm cloud. The truck pulled to a stop in downtown Pallet and its left side opened to reveal an array of TV screens. People began to gather around to watch the program, a newscast made by Kanto on the Liberators' attack on the concentration camp.   
  
"A week ago the terrorist group known as the Liberators of Kanto attacked a Pokemon summer camp to the southwest of Pallet Town. We have a video clip of the aftermath, but we advise viewer discretion as the scene is very gruesome."   
  
As the news anchor promised, the scene appeared on the TV, and it was a horrifying sight indeed. Several log cabins were on fire and plumes of smoke billowed into the air. Littered on the ground were the bodies of male and female camp counsellors, and several children from the age of ten to their early teens. The camera panned closer to the body of a child who couldn't have been older than ten years of age. There were several bullet wounds and burn marks on his skin. The viewing audience was angered and became more vengeful by the second.   
  
An unidentified man with short black hair walked out of the van. "These terrorists have killed too many of our people! It's time we fought back! I know where they are hiding! Who's with me?"   
  
The crowd cheered with an approving fervour. "Let's get them! KILL THEM! KILL THEM!"   
  
"Avenge the deaths of our people! Victory will be ours!" cheered the man. A second van and several buses pulled up. The van driver opened his back door and began distributing assault rifles.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Surge gave a briefing on the plan for attacking the propaganda centre. "Okay, here's how we'll hit the place. We're going to rendezvous with our cell in Vermillion city. They are sending members with us to rig the centre with explosives. I will..."   
  
The banging of assault rifle fire ripped through the air as an alarmed soldier ran into the briefing room. "Sir, several armed civilians are attacking from the southwest!"   
  
Surge was in disbelief. "Everyone, defend our camp!" Surge pointed to a few random soldiers. "You, get the trucks ready to evacuate the slaves!"   
  
"Yes sir!" replied the troops.   
  
The Digimon Digivolved to their Champion level. The Pokemon trainers released a Pokemon each to defend themselves from the rioters. The Kanto Team rushed out of the tent to join the battle. They were greeted with a scene of anarchy and violence. The civilians were nothing more than crazed rioters who sprayed their gunfire at anything that moved. A deranged man with explosives strapped to his body rushed towards a tent. The soldiers inside opened fire, but the suicide bomber mashed a button and unleashed a massive explosion. It levelled the tent and vaporized the soldiers within.   
  
"We have to get Mrs. Ketchum to safety!" cried Casey. "Go to the medical tent!"   
  
The Kanto Team minus Surge made their way through the anarchy of the attack. Greymon called a Nova Blast and spit a massive, explosive fireball. A crowd of rioters leapt for safety as the Nova Blast smashed the ground and exploded. Surge's submachine gun banged and behind him, an evolved version of Pikachu was arcing electricity from his cheeks. This Pokemon, Raichu had a darker coat of fur, and was orangey compared to the bright yellow of Pikachu's fur. He stood a head taller and was larger overall than his smaller brethren. All this made him look much tougher and more menacing.   
  
"I'll hold them off, you guys go help the slaves escape," ordered Surge. He dove behind the sandbags at the base of the tent and returned fire on the enemy.   
  
Machamp picked Delia off the bed and slung her around his shoulder. "What are you doing? What's all the commotion about?"   
  
"The camp is under attack!" replied Brock. "We have to get out of here!"   
  
"Over here! There's a truck!" noted Casey. "Everyone get in!"   
  
The Kanto Team helped everyone they could to get onto the truck. Under Brock's orders, Machamp placed Delia into the truck. Another truck came by, and they loaded more slaves in. Outside a crazed rioter lobbed a Molotov cocktail into the medical tent. The canvas began to burn and in response; Tracey called out Marill to douse the flames. However, the people outside grew impatient and began to lob more Molotov cocktails to accelerate the burning. Tracey was swamped as only his Marill was able to put out the fires.   
  
"Hurry, I don't know how long the tent will hold!" warned Tracey. The air in the tent grew hot and thick and it was difficult to breathe.   
  
Matt helped the last slave enter the truck. "That's the last of them!"   
  
Surge ducked then peeked up and fired several rounds. "Good! We're issuing a full retreat. Let's get out of here!"   
  
Electra came charging into a line of riots, forcing them to scatter out of self preservation. She stopped her truck outside of the tent and Surge provided cover fire as the rest of the Kanto Team boarded. The Pokemon trainers recalled their Pokemon, and returned them into their Pokeballs in flashes of crimson light. The backed out their engagements with the rioters and De-Digivolved into the truck. Everyone had been accounted for and Electra hit the accelerator and sped away. After a brief exchange of fire, the truck was out of range and was heading to safety.   
  
"It's just like Gennai described Ignorance. Fanaticism feeds off the ignorance of the people," noted Izzy. "Ignorance is the primary weapon of any tyrant or fanatic. Adolf Hitler is proof of that."   
  
Another truck followed behind the Kanto's team's truck, and Tai gave a sigh of relief. "Damn!" Tai punched the floor of the truck out of frustration.   
  
"Where are we going?" asked Casey to the driver.   
  
"I'm taking us to the cell in Vermillion," replied Electra. "They will take us in."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Electra's truck entered the area of Vermillion City. They travelled down the streets until they came upon an abandoned factory in the outskirts of town. It was dirty and unkempt as the result of years of neglect. Despite being abandoned, the factory was still structurally sound. The Liberators had renovated the interior and reinforced the factory's structure for use as one of their hideouts. The truck passed by a pair of lookouts and parked in the lot at the front. Surge walked up and identified himself to the guard posted at the door.   
  
Surge introduced the Kanto Team to the cell members and gave them a guided tour. Despite being dirty on the outside, the interior was actually fairly clean. The dorms seemed somewhat cramped, and had sections for male and female cell members. The meeting room had all the necessary equipment including a board, video cassette player, and chairs. As they toured, the aromatic scents of delicious food filled the nostrils of the Kanto Team. They came upon the source of the scents, a mess hall where dozens of cell members were eating. The Kanto Team was hungry from their escape and Surge let them take a bite to eat.   
  
"So what will we do now, Lieutenant?" asked Tai.   
  
"We're going to relax a little to catch our breath before we go after the propaganda centre. The mission will be at night tomorrow, so be well rested before then."   
  
"What about Ash' mother?" asked Brock.   
  
"The drivers were told to come here in case of emergency. They left ahead of us so they should be here already and if not then soon," replied Surge.   
  
Minutes later, a soldier came in, helping a weakened woman to the mess hall. That woman was Delia Ketchum. "Hey guys, Ms. Ketchum here wanted to see if you guys were ok."   
  
"We're relieved that you got away fine!" said Brock.   
  
"I'm ok Brock. I'm glad to see no one else was hurt," answered Delia. "Have you heard from Ash?"   
  
"I'm afraid not," replied Surge. "He went to meet up with a cell in Johto to fight the enemy there."   
  
"I hope I hear from him soon. I'm worried sick."   
  
"Don't worry. He's not a baby. He's a tough kid. I fought him in a Pokemon battle and he beat me fair and square. He can take care of himself."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The next night, the Kanto Team, minus Izzy and Tentomon, snuck into the limits of Lavender Town under the cover of nightfall. They were wearing black clothing designed to blend in with the darkness. Somewhere nearby, a stray cat meowed as it searched for food. The wind picked up, blowing Casey's violet locks of hair up. It was cool and stars were twinkling in the sky above. The Kanto Team ran down a deserted alley way, and their footsteps echoed off the cement and brick walls. They were just blocks away from the propaganda centre, and quickly approaching.   
  
"We're almost there!" whispered Casey to her friends.   
  
The team crossed a second alley and their target entered their sights. Outside of the alley was a street grand commercial building. It had an antenna constructed on top with a rotating dish at the top. Inside was a reception room visible through the glass from the outside. Another room to the right had a lit light, and looked like an artist's work area. Inside was a beagle-like Pokemon with a head appropriately shaped like an artist's beret. He was painting a picture of some sort using his tail as a brush. He didn't seem too happy to be expressing his artistic side. Rather, it was as though he was being forced to work against his will.   
  
The door opened and a man in a security uniform walked in. He checked the room, said something unknown to the Pokemon, and then returned to his rounds. The guard walked over to the reception area, checked around, but found nothing of note and disappeared into a door on the left. Using this opportunity, the Kanto Team snuck across the street and ducked under the front windows. The only person who was in the position to spot them was the Pokemon, a Smeargle, who was too wrapped up in his painting.   
  
====================Pokedex====================   
Name: Smeargle   
Type: Normal   
Evolved From: None   
  
Smeargle, the Painter Pokemon. Smeargle's brush-like tail oozes a strange fluid that acts like paint. He is an aspiring painter, and can duplicate Pokemon attacks with his Sketch ability.   
==============================================   
  
"I don't know about you guys, but that Smeargle doesn't look too happy to be chained in there like that," noted Tracey.   
  
"We should help him," suggested Kari.   
  
"Are you sure?" asked Gabumon. "What if he calls the guards on us?"   
  
"Why don't you have one of your Pokemon talk to him?" suggested Casey. "Smeargle might not sound the alarm on a Pokemon."   
  
"Yeah! Great idea!" Tracey reached for the Pokeball containing Venonat. "Go, Venonat!"   
  
In a flash of crimson light, a small insect Pokemon appeared. His eyes were large, red, and appropriately insect-like. His body was covered by a thick coat of bushy, violet fur. It had a pair of small feet which he used to walk, and a pair of small claws used for gripping. On its head was a pair of antennae, and on its face was a small fanged mouth. Venonat jumped into the air cheerfully, and was happy that his trainer wanted him to see him. He turned to Tracey to hear what he wanted.   
  
"Venonat, please talk to Smeargle," requested Tracey. "Tell him that we're here to help."   
  
Venonat jumped onto the window sill and tapped on the glass. Smeargle walked over and opened the window. "Smeargle? (What are you doing here?)"   
  
"Venonat. (I want to know why you're so unhappy,)" asked Venonat.   
  
"Smear. (I have to paint these posters, or else the humans will punish me.)"   
  
"Venonat, venonat. (I'm so sorry. I have some friends who are trying to stop the bad people from hurting any more Pokemon. They want to stop the bad people, but they need your help.)"   
  
"Smeargle, Smeargle. (I can't. They'll catch me, and I'll be punished.)"   
  
"Venonat? (Are there are other Pokemon here? Aren't you concerned about how they're being treated?)"   
  
Smeargle thought hard about it. "Smear. (I don't like what the humans are doing any more than you do but I can't.)"   
  
"Venonat. Venonat. Venonat! (You can't be let people push you around. You have to make a stand otherwise they'll push you around forever. Help us stand up to them for all Pokemon! Please?)"   
  
Smeargle paused momentarily to reflect on Venonat's words. "Smear! (Okay, you talked me into it!)" He opened his window and allowed the Kanto Team to come in. "Smeargle! (Be careful! There are nine other Smeargle here. Remove my chains and I'll lead you to them.)"   
  
Tracey called out his Scyther to slice the chains that trapped Smeargle in the room. "There!" said Tracey triumphantly.   
  
Smeargle seemed much lighter upon having his chains removed. "Smear! (This way!)"   
  
"Wait a minute," demanded Surge. He took out his radio and gave a call to Izzy. "Izzy, have you hacked into their security network yet?"   
  
"Yes, almost..." replied Izzy. The sound of typing filled the radio waves. "Prodigious! I'm in! Security system going off-line now!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Elsewhere in the centre, static consumed the monitors being watched by a pair of guards. They tried to punch some commands in, but the system wouldn't respond. "It's not working. The cameras aren't responding," remarked the first guard.   
  
The second held his radio up to transmit a message. "All units; our cameras just went down. Be on alert for intruders. We're trying to solve the problem ASAP. Over and out."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The Kanto Team snuck out of Smeargle's art room and entered a hallway. The walls were made of white plaster and the floor consisted of white tiles with black marks. There was a camera hanging on the end corner, but fortunately, it was offline due to "technical difficulties." The team made its way down the hallways and corridors, checking each room under Smeargle's guidance. They rescued the other Smeargles, placing them into Pokeballs for transport away from the centre. Tracey opened the door to the tenth and final Smeargle.   
  
"Those poor Smeargle," remarked Kari. "How can anyone be so cruel?"   
  
"They won't have to suffer anymore." Tracey brought out his Scyther to slice the chains. "We're here to free you! Come into the Pokeball!"   
  
"Smeargle! (Don't worry! You can trust them!)" assured Smeargle.   
  
The tenth Smeargle allowed himself to be captured by Tracey's Pokeball. The Kanto Team continued their search for Ignorance. They moved deeper into the centre, passing a TV and radio station to enter a massive, grungy room. It was filled with machines with rolling parts and canisters of ink. The machines were clearly printing presses for making copies of posters, newspapers, and other paper media.   
  
The team looked at one of the posters out of curiosity. The poster had the picture of a smiling serviceman in a salute. He looked proud and noble, which was ironic considering the actions of Kanto's army. The background was red, and contained the emblem of a black mountain with a cloud over it. A pair of lightning bolts came from the cloud and struck the mountain. The poster had an ominous air about it, and made the serviceman look much more intimidating than he should. The poster had the words "Join the Empire's Army."   
  
The team delved deeper, eventually finding another TV studio. It was a vacant room, with the exception of electronic equipment, and one other interesting object. At the centre of the room was their target, Ignorance. No matter how many times they looked at it, Ignorance had an unusual, but eerily ironic appearance. It was connected to the equipment by wires. At the base the head's mouth was a bowl which collected the unknown clear ooze that dripped out of its mouth. Surge looked over the set up closely, as though inspecting it for anything suspicious.   
  
"Eew! What is that stuff?" asked Casey.   
  
Tai looked at the fluid. "I have no idea. I'll ask Izzy." Tai called up Izzy on his radio and told him the news.   
  
"I believe they mix it into their ink, otherwise they use it as ink," replied Izzy. "Whatever it is, they use it to manipulate people who read the posters you described."   
  
"These wires aren't connected to any alarms," informed Surge. "They must feed the subliminal messaging into the recordings." Surge made a final check and to ensure that no alarms were connected to the Stone. He called Vermillion cell members and received confirmation of the setting of the bombs. "Okay, let's take the Stone and get out of here!"   
  
"Agumon, your turn!" said Tai.   
  
"Agumon, Digivolve to... Greymon!" Agumon's strength rose exponentially as Greymon and he scooped Ignorance up with a single hand.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed something unknown like a banshee. It was so loud and disruptive that everyone had to cover their ears.   
  
"Argggh! What is that?" asked Brock.   
  
"It's Ignorance! It doesn't want to be removed from here!" cried Kari.   
  
"I didn't know they were alive!" cried Casey.   
  
"Never mind. We gotta move! The place will be crawling with guards!" warned Surge.   
  
Before anyone could react a pair of creatures burst into the scene. The Digidestined members of the team recognized them as Digimon; Datamon to be exact. All of them were about three feet tall with pill-shaped bodies made of metal. The top half of their bodies was a dome that encased complex circuitry that functioned like the creatures' brain. The bottom half was connected to a pair of hands and feet by a set of metal cables. The creatures scanned the team using their artificial right eye and their exposed organic left eye.   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Datamon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Digital Bomb, Nano Swarm   
  
Datamon are knowledgeable in all things technological. They use their technical aptitude to further the goals of whoever they may serve.   
====================================================   
  
"Casey, Matt, help me distract these bucket heads!" ordered Surge. "The rest of you, get to the extraction point ASAP! Surge and Casey released Raichu and Bayleef respectively from their Pokeballs.   
  
"Gabumon, Digivolve to... Garurumon!"   
  
"Raichu, shock'em good with Thunderbolt!" commanded Surge.   
  
Crackling electricity arced from Raichu's cheeks and struck one of the Datamon. The electricity surged all over the Datamon's body, but he suddenly snapped out to Raichu's surprise. Garurumon employed a Howling Blaster, exhaling a gust of scorching blue flames onto the second Datamon. He flinched, but recovered and smacked his attacker with an explosive Digital Bomb. Datamon lobbed a second bomb, and its explosion smashed Bayleef into the ground. She landed before her trainer with a thud.   
  
"Bay!" she grunted.   
  
"You okay, Bayleef?" asked Casey. Bayleef replied in the affirmative, and leapt onto took a defiant combat stance before her trainer.   
  
"They're Ultimates, so they're tougher than the other Digimon we've fought. Don't give up! We can still beat them!" shouted Matt encouragingly.   
  
"Digital Bomb!"   
  
A weapons bay opened in one of the Datamon's hand and produced a grenade. He lobbed it at Raichu, but the Mouse Pokemon was faster and evaded the booming explosion. Raichu countered with a Slam attack, ramming his body into the Datamon. The second initiated his Nano Swarm attack, and released several small, metallic probes into the air. Surrounding Garurumon and Bayleef like mosquitoes, the Nano Swarm crackled with the discharging of several electrical shocks into Garurumon and Bayleef.   
  
The probes were a great nuisance to the two monsters, and prevented them from mounting any form of offence. It was Surge who came to their rescue, calling Raichu to aim a Thunderbolt upon the Nano Swarm. Each of the probes fell dead, allowing their victims to exploit the turning of the tide. Garurumon's fiery blue breath melted the Nano Swarm into puddles of metallic goo. Bayleef sliced and diced the last remnants of the cloud with rapid fire Razor Leaves, dumping a metallic salad onto the ground.   
  
A guard ran into the room, and Surge did a double take upon identifying his face. "Watts?"   
  
"We have to get out of here!" stated Casey. "Bayleef, Vine Whip!" Bayleef's vines extended from her neck and lashed the Datamon into Watts painfully.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Greymon smashed his way through the wall, blowing chunks of cement all over the ground. Ignorance continued its shrill screeching which could be heard for miles around. The first half of the Kanto Team ran down the darkened streets of Lavender. They looked back and saw Surge and the others following behind. The headlights of police cruisers shined like beacons in the darkness of night. Lavender Town's police bore down on them, intent on stopping the resistance's escape.   
  
"You are under arrest! Drop your weapons and surrender!" ordered an officer.   
  
Surge activated his radio. "Electra, get here on the double!" Surge switched frequencies to the Vermillion cell members. "Vermillion cell, now!"   
  
A pair of black vans pulled up on the street ahead. Several booms ripped through the air alongside a multitude of explosions that tore the propaganda centre asunder. The night sky was lit up in a blaze of vibrant light. The police was distracted, and only a few noticed the vans speeding away. Ignorance's screeching was unbearable, and Izzy typed away frantically on his computer in an attempt to reach Gennai. After a few minutes, the Digidestined's guide responded. A flash of light ensued and Ignorance was pulled into a portal to the Digital World. The Kanto Team uncovered their ears in relief.   
  
"Ow! I thought my ears were going to burst," remarked Tai.   
  
"We have more immediate concerns at than that!" said Izzy, in reference to the cops.   
  
"Hold on everybody! This is going to be a bumpy ride!" called Electra.   
  
Everyone looked back as the bullets ricocheted off the steel body of the van. Each hit shot flickering sparks into the air. Everyone was thankful for the mechanics that reinforced the armour of the van. A few bullets hit and bounced off the rear window. The glass had been rendered bullet-proof just like the van's chassis. Electra swerved to evade enemy fire, and everyone held on for dear life. The faint sound of something slicing the air drew closer, and everyone recognized it as the rotary blades of a helicopter. A light from above shined through the rear window.   
  
"Oh great!" grumbled Electra.   
  
"It's easy to evade squad cars, but a chopper?" asked Izzy rhetorically.   
  
A message came in over the radio from Surge. "Once we leave Lavender's city limits, I'm going to shoot that baby down! When I give the signal, cover me!"   
  
After several minutes of chase, the car chase burst onto the southbound freeway. Surge waited until there were no buildings in sight, then gave the signal. From the open rear window of his van, Agumon spit a fireball which the police instinctively dodged. Tracey released Marill, and he sprayed a jet of pressurized water. It punched through a squad car's windshield and drilled the driver in the face. The driver lost control of his car, and began to swerve erratically. It suddenly struck a cruiser moving in his blind spot, dangerously grinding their chassis together and scattering sparks.   
  
"Hey, watch where you're driving!" called the driver to his comrade.   
  
In the second van, Surge opened a wooden case and pulled out a rocket launcher. He loaded a SAM into the tube, and leaned out of an open window. Upon pulling the trigger, the missile swooshed out and veered upwards to the helicopter. The chopper burst into flames and dropped onto the ground to explode with brilliance. Thick, black smoke rose from the crackling fires of the wreckage. Surge turned his attention to the pursuing police cruisers and tucked the rocket launcher away.   
  
"Get down!" cried Surge, as he opened the rear window.   
  
Surge pulled out his submachine gun and fired a burst at the front tire of the lead car. The first three rounds clanged as they punctured holes into the car's chassis. A hail of bullets flew at him, thus Surge ducked behind the safety of the door. He peaked out and fired another burst, finally landing a hit on the tire. It let out a faint hiss as air gushed outwards. The car lost speed considerably and the driver struggle to maintain control. The trailing cars passed their leader, but Surge's bullets ripped their tires to shreds. One by one, the cars dropped out of the chase, leaving the vans free to get away.   
  
"Phew! I'm glad that's over!" remarked Casey.   
  
"Yeah," agreed Surge.   
  
"Lieutenant, who was that guard you saw at Lavender? You seemed to recognize him," observed Matt.   
  
"Yeah," admitted Surge. "His name is Watts. We used to be squad mates during the war."   
  
"The war?" asked Matt.   
  
"I learned about this in school," replied Casey. "It was a world war in which Kanto and Johto were on opposite sides. I heard that the world fell under a depression and someone like Mephistomon took advantage of things to gain control of Kanto."   
  
"Sounds like World War Two in my world," remarked Matt.   
  
"Casey's right. Do you want to hear my story?" asked Surge.   
  
"Of course," replied Matt.   
  
"Okay. Like Casey said, the war happened ten years ago. Back then, I was a soldier working for a resistance group much like the Liberators of today."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
A younger Lt. Surge gazed upon a map of the wilderness east of Vermillion City. In this area was a tunnel network originally created by Digletts and Dugtrios. It had an exit located east of Viridian Forest. Kanto had taken control of this tunnel and have been using it as a pathway to go directly to the west. They used this tunnel to move troops from Vermillion's army bases to Viridian and then to the front further west. It was strategically important to the enemy, thus eliminating it would greatly hinder their war effort.   
  
Surge looked up to see the faces of his comrades. Of his comrades, three faces stood out; the first of which was a younger Electra. The second belonged to a thirty year old man with a medium build, black hair, and a bushy beard. This man was Surge's squad leader, Sparks. The third and last face belonged to a blond haired, blue-eyed man with a thin build. He was young, about eighteen years old, and had the look of grim determination on his face. This last man was Surge's war buddy, Watts.   
  
"Okay, our allies in Viridian are set to destroy their end of the Diglett tunnel. Kanto isn't moving any troops tomorrow night, so that's the best time to strike," briefed Sparks. "Get a good night's sleep and be prepared for our mission."   
  
The next night, the partisan army prepared for their mission. "So Max, what will you do after the war is over?" asked Watts.   
  
"I've been thinking about opening a Gym in my home town," said Surge.   
  
"Ah, a future Gym Leader! After the war, many people will want some way to enjoy the peace. I'm sure a lot of trainers will come by to compete in the Indigo League."   
  
"How about you? What do you plan to do?"   
  
"I'm not sure, I haven't given it much thought... My only hope is that the war ends soon."   
  
"Yeah, I hope so too. Well Greg, let's go! We've got a tunnel to bomb!"   
  
Surge's squad snuck their way past several enemy guards and into the tunnel. It was a dark cave, and its earthen walls were lit only by lamps scattered within the tunnel. It was cool inside, despite the lack of movement from the air within. True to the briefing, no one was moving through the tunnel that night. Surge released Raichu and set him on lookout while he worked. He reached into a bag and pulled out a mass of what looked like grey plasticine. He stuck it onto the sides of the tunnel and joined a detonator to it with electrical wires.   
  
"Okay I'm done!" whispered Surge to Watts.   
  
Watts finished attaching his detonators. "Let's go!"   
  
Surge's squad fled the tunnel with utmost haste. As they ran, Surge pulled out a transmitter and pressed the button. A massive wave of explosions boomed in the tunnel behind him. Blasts of flames jetted out of the Diglett Tunnel's entrance. Dirt from above tumbled onto the ground, and the tunnel was blocked off completely. The enemy spotted them fleeing into vans and gave chase. Several bangs filled the air as assault rifles unloaded round after round.   
  
Watts' assault rifle banged as he returned fire. "Hurry! Get in the van!"   
  
Watts gunned down two advancing enemy soldiers. A bullet from an unseen source struck him in the chest. Blood burst out of the wound, dying his uniform a deep crimson. Watts turned to his attacker and took him down in expedient fashion. More soldiers entered the scene, hitting Watts in the chest before he collapsed. Bangs burst from his squad mates they shot down the soldiers. Surge leapt out of the van and yanked his comrade to safety. The squad's medic, Volts, began to examine his patient as the van sped away from firing enemies.   
  
"Are you ok Watts?" asked Surge.   
  
He was in great pain, and from Volts' diagnosis, Watts had lost a dangerously large amount of blood. "They got me..." Watts coughed up a mouthful of blood.   
  
"Is there anything you can do for him, doc?" asked Surge desperately.   
  
"I'm sorry," replied Volts. "He's beyond my ability."   
  
Watts drifted into a deathly silence. "WATTS!" cried Surge in anguish.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
"It's so sad," remarked Casey.   
  
"Yeah, Watts and I were the best of friends," replied Surge. "After the war was over, I hoped to show him the Gym I opened in Vermillion." Surge sighed. "...But that won't ever happen. After the war, we exhumed his body and gave him a proper reburial in the Veterans' Graveyard in Vermillion."   
  
Matt was skeptical. "I'm still wondering how that was possible. He died ten years ago didn't he?"   
  
Surge was adamant about spotting Watts back at the propaganda centre. "He did, but I know what I saw! That was Watts back there! I can't explain it," said Surge before taking a brief, pensive pause. "Listen, I'm going to the graveyard to check things out. Call it a hunch, but I have the feeling that I need to see something there."   
  
The Kanto Team pulled into the base of the Vermillion resistance cell. They ate a nice, hearty meal in celebration of their removal of Ignorance's influence over Kanto. A Liberator soldier bearing good news came into the mess hall and interrupted the meal. The message came from the Johto Team. They had destroyed Negligence, thus stopping it from manipulating further accidents in Johto. The Johto Team were on their way to the Lake of Rage to remove the next Stone.   
  
"Yeah, alright!" cheered Casey. "Three down, five to go!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Under the cover of night, Surge made his way to the Vermillion Veterans' Cemetery. The night was cool and the wind picked up, blowing up strands of Surge's blond hair. He kept a vigilant look out for anyone who might recognize him for what he was. He came upon the gate to a great graveyard at the outer boarders of Vermillion. Police were stationed around the door, as though denying access to the grounds inside. Surge climbed over the fence and was greeted with the sight of rows upon of rows of cross-shaped headstones. An unsettling feeling came over the Lieutenant as he walked deeper inside.   
  
Any graveyard was a creepy place to be in at night. There were many stories about the dead rising from their graves to seek vengeance upon the living. The sight of a restless spirit or cannibalistic zombie would make even a tough man like Surge wet his pants. Although there's skepticism about the existence of human ghosts, science has confirmed the existence of Pokemon ghosts in the Ghost type Pokemon. So far, the cemetery was completely devoid of anything of interest. However, Surge pressed on and scanned the grounds for anything amiss. He soon came upon a series of open graves, and each had a pile of dirt lying beside it.   
  
He approached one of the headstones and took a close look at the inscription. The grave belonged to a man named Jones, a veteran of the same war Surge and Watts fought in. Surge realized the strangeness of this situation, noting that Jones' body was missing. There was no coffin or body within any of the other holes either. Someone had exhumed the body and took it away. Surge began to grow concerned. He was close to making a very important, but unpleasant discovery.   
  
Surge continued his search, finding more open graves in his path. He soon came upon the headstone of Gregory Watts, his fallen comrade from the war. Surge's jaw dropped as he took in the sight before him. Watts' grave was open just like the others were, and a pile of dirt was left discarded on the side of the grave. Nothing was inside of the hole except for a few blades of grass from the digging during the exhumation. Surge heard something wooden bumping into something elsewhere and dove behind a nearby tree for cover.   
  
He peeked at the source of the sound, a floating jellyfish hauling a coffin away with its tentacles. It had bumped its coffin into a headstone by accident. Its main body was blue and had red, bubble-like growths that almost looked like eyes. Surge recognized the creature as being the Water Pokemon, Tentacruel. However, normal Tentacruel didn't have the ability to float in the air. They could only function in the water. They also didn't have violet snakes protruding from their body.   
  
They slithered around, as though keeping a vigil for intruders. Surge moved slightly to the left to remain hidden from the monstrosity's sight. He recognized those snakes as being Ekans. This creature didn't look like any normal Pokemon that would be found in the wild. It had to have been the result of some warped genetic experiment. He wondered who was deranged enough to create such an abomination. Deciding that this situation called for discretion, Surge snuck away and ran back to the Liberator base to report the news. 


	16. Project Revolution

Gijinka Renamon:   
I have an idea for how they can get into the ranks of the resistance.   
  
  
  
KingofCrossovers:   
I made the assumption that the Digidestined knew they had little choice in the matter. If they became too concerned, they might become unwilling to kill at all, which is necessary in order to free the Pokemon World.   
  
  
  
Ninetalesuk:   
Soon...   
  
  
  
AnT:   
I didn't know that, actually. I can at least have her doing the occasional narration.   
  
  
  
Phintai13:   
I read your story. Didn't you see my review?   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 15: Project Revolution   
  
  
  
  
  
The Johto Team woke up in to a brilliant dawn in the Mahogany Pokemon Centre. The sky was clear and a lovely azure blue. The sun was a golden yellow, and its light sparkled as it hit the steel buildings of the town. The sunlight woke Misty up and she took a morning shower to start the day. Being a Water Pokemon trainer, Misty was most comfortable in or around water. As the water hit her bare skin, she felt refreshed and let out a sigh of relief.   
  
She dried herself off with a towel and wrapped a second one around her wet hair. She finished the rest of her morning routine and joined Joe, TK, Mimi and Ash for breakfast. The Centre served delicious golden brown pancakes that morning. Misty took a bite, and the sweet taste of maple syrup filled her mouth. Pikachu tried a small slice of pancake and loved the taste as much as Misty did.   
  
"So we're going to the Lake of Rage after breakfast?" asked Misty.   
  
"Yeah," replied Joe.   
  
"You're not going to the Gym yet, Ash?" asked Misty.   
  
"Not yet. I have to take care of the Stones of Doom first. I have to be responsible," admitted Ash. "I go there later."   
  
"Well there's a first," muttered Misty sarcastically.   
  
"I'm afraid the Gym's going to be closed for quite awhile," informed Nurse Joy, who had overheard their conversation.   
  
"Really?" asked Ash. "Why?"   
  
"Didn't you hear the news?"   
  
"No, what happened?"   
  
"The Gym Leader, Pryce, is at the hospital."   
  
The Johto Team gasped. "The hospital? Is he alright? What happened?" asked Ash.   
  
"A rampaging Gyarados attacked the town last night," replied Joy. "That Gyarados had hospitalized many people and Pokemon before Pryce managed to defeat it. It shot Pryce through a concrete wall and broke many bones in his body. He's a hero."   
  
Mimi was shocked. "That's so horrible... But I'm glad he's alive!"   
  
"Yeah, but it gets even stranger," said Joy. "You know that Gyarados? It had black scales instead of blue ones. The authorities are studying the creature, but they are baffled as to what caused it to be that way. There are rumours going around that this was because of Kanto performing genetic experiments on Pokemon."   
  
Nurse Joy's mention of the Black Gyarados got the Johto Team thinking. "Nurse Joy do you know which hospital Pryce is staying at?" asked Ash.   
  
"Yeah, the North Mahogany Hospital."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The Johto Team paid Pryce a visit, and he was happy to see strangers care so much. They went north to find that area of Mahogany in ruins. Most of the damage appeared to be caused by a beam of some kind, most likely Gyarados' Hyper Beam attack. A few buildings had collapsed, and there was a flurry of activity by the local authorities to clean up. The team remarked how powerful the Black Gyarados was to have caused so much damage. They pressed on and reached the forests out of town. The forests were beautiful and green, and the air was fresh.   
  
May pretended to be a narrator of a documentary. "...And the Johto Team marches northward in search of the next Stone of Doom. What will they find at the Lake of Rage? Excitement and adventure? Ugly, multi-eyed monsters? New friends who will join them? Perhaps new loves?"   
  
"You don't need to be so melodramatic," said Joe.   
  
Biyomon looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. We should set up camp soon."   
  
The sun turned a crimson shade as it descended below the horizon. The stars and the full moon could be seen as the once azure sky turned a jet black. The team found a clearing in the forest where they set up camp for the night. Joe, Ash, and Sora pitched up a series of tents for the whole group to sleep in. Torchic breathed her flames onto a pile of kindling and a campfire ignited. May threw in some nearby logs and held the palm of her hands to receive the heat.   
  
"Ick! These logs are so dirty!" complained Mimi, as she dropped a log of firewood.   
  
"We need more firewood than that," said Joe as he hammered a stake into the ground.   
  
"I can't believe I touched that log! Would you trade jobs with me Joe? Please?"   
  
Joe sighed. "Oh, alright." Joe walked off into the forest as Mimi began hammering.   
  
May threw the log into the fire and began to fan the flames. The campfire lit up nice and bright, casting a warm glow around the centre of the camp. Ash finished setting up his tent and joined May beside the fire. He basked in the heat, warming himself up after being chilled by the night wind. The two struck up a conversation about Hoenn and May's first steps into the world of training Pokemon.   
  
Ash couldn't contain his laughter. "Ha ha ha! It sprayed you in the face? Ha ha ha!"   
  
May frowned. "That's why I didn't pick Mudkip. Treecko was too scary, so I went with Torchic instead. How did you start your journey?"   
  
Ash stopped laughing. "Well, I kind of woke up late that day."   
  
"Kind of?"   
  
"Okay, okay, I overslept!" admitted Ash.   
  
"I take it that Pikachu wasn't your first choice."   
  
"Yeah. Everyone else got there earlier and took all the other Pokemon. Pikachu was the only one left. We had a little trouble getting along at first, but the two of us became best buddies."   
  
"When did you meet Misty and Brock?"   
  
"I met Misty just before I got to Viridian City. Pikachu got hurt trying to protect me from some Spearows. I took her bike to get to the Pokemon Centre, but I kind of damaged it on the way. She was mad. She tagged along just to get me to repay her for that bike."   
  
"What about Brock?"   
  
"He used to be the Pewter City Gym Leader. His long lost father came home and took care of his brothers and sisters while he traveled with us to become a Pokemon Breeder."   
  
"You three must have had a lot of adventures!" remarked May.   
  
"Yeah," replied Ash.   
  
May stared into Ash's eyes dreamily and blushed. "You know, Ash..."   
  
She smiled shyly, and inched her way closer to Ash's position. Suddenly, a stream of water blasted May in the face. She fell onto her back, and Ash jumped onto his feet. He thought they were under attack, until his eyes followed the water to Staryu and Misty. His jaw dropped in shock and denial. Misty was the one who attacked them? He couldn't believe what he was seeing.   
  
"Misty what was that for?" asked Ash demandingly. Misty turned her nose up and let out an indignant "humpf."   
  
May had seen Misty's reaction and was furious. "You did that on purpose!"   
  
"So I did. What're you going to do about it?" dared Misty.   
  
May growled. "I asked if you were jealous and you lied to me! I'm a usually a nice person but don't push me!"   
  
Joe ran back to the camp in the hurry. "What's going on?" he asked trying to make himself heard over Misty and May's screaming.   
  
"Misty and May were having an argument," replied Biyomon.   
  
Joe was surprised. "That's it? What would they have to argue about?"   
  
"It looks like Misty is jealous of May," replied Palmon.   
  
"Ah, love!" remarked Gomamon.   
  
Misty and May began a tug-of-war on Ash's arms. "Keep your hands off!" screamed Misty.   
  
"NO! Keep YOUR hands off!" snapped May.   
  
Ash felt like his arms were being pulled out of their sockets. "Hey guys, cut it out! That hurts!"   
  
A battle of words became physical as Misty tackled May to the ground. The two girls began to pull on each other's hair. The Digidestined had seen enough, and Joe and TK threw their bodies between the two girls to break up the fight. At the same time, Sora pulled Misty away and Mimi did the same to May. Both trainers continued to scream at each other, struggling to break free. Unknown to everyone, several round objects descended into the camp. They hissed as they released a trail of white vapour behind them. The Johto was drowned in gas and everyone collapsed.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
An unknown amount of time passed and the Johto Team woke up to the sight of a prison. The walls were a drab metallic grey, but surprisingly clean. A set of solid steel bars, and a tightly locked door confined them within. Ash reached for a Pokeball, but his arms were tied by some sort of metal ring. It mattered little since he didn't even have his Pokeballs in the first place. The Johto Team realized their monster partners were missing!   
  
"Nice work, Misty! Now we're in jail!" shouted May.   
  
Misty got into May's face, sandwiching Ash between the two girls. "Me? You're the one who was trying to move in like a vulture!"   
  
Ash was becoming quite uncomfortable and managed to squeeze out of the girls' way. He backed into the huddle of Digidestined. "What's going on with Misty and May?"   
  
"You really don't know?" asked Sora incredulously.   
  
"No!" admitted Ash.   
  
"They're in love with you!" said Sora.   
  
Ash's jaw dropped. "In love... with... ME?" Ash fell speechless.   
  
The door to the prison opened and a pair of men walked in. "Shut up!" shouted one of the men.   
  
This man had a muscular build which made him look like a tough guy. He had tanned skin and a head of brown hair. The man wore a grey jacket with a bright red "R" emblazoned on it. The Pokemon trainers recognized him as being a member of the Team Rocket, a notorious crime syndicate based around the sale of Pokemon. They came to the conclusion that they were in a Team Rocket base of some kind. In fact, this man was the head of the base, Tyson.   
  
The second man was thinner and less muscular. He looked more like a scientist due to his white lab coat and glasses. He had greying black hair, and an equally greying goatee. He also looked somewhat unscrupulous. From his presence, the trainers concluded that this base must also be a lab. They wondered what kind of nefarious research was being conducted here. The scientist was named Sebastian, and he was the head scientist in this lab.   
  
"Team Rocket!" said Ash and Misty.   
  
"What did you do with Palmon?" demanded Mimi.   
  
"Sebastian has put your Pokemon and Digimon to good use for Team Rocket."   
  
"You better not hurt them or I'll..." threatened Ash as he struggled to pry the ring open.   
  
"...Or you'll do what?" asked an unknown figure entering the room. As the figure approached, the shadows seemed to part and revealed its goat-like face.   
  
The Johto Team was shocked. "Mephistomon!"   
  
"Meet Team Rocket's biggest business partner," said Tyson.   
  
Misty was appalled. "You talk as if Pokemon and Digimon are some sort of commodity!"   
  
Tyson smiled. "Pokemon and now Digimon are big business for Team Rocket. We sell to the highest bidder, and that is Mephistomon!"   
  
Ash turned to Mephistomon for answers. "Why are you doing this? What do you have you have against us?"   
  
"Nothing at all. My grievance is with the Sovereigns," replied Mephistomon.   
  
Joe was in disbelief. "Then why cause all this suffering?"   
  
"Simple, I intend to make them pay for all the suffering I endured while imprisoned in the Dark Area! To do that, I need great military power, and this world can provide me with everything I need!" Mephistomon gazed at everyone then locked eyes with Misty. She was unnerved by the way he looked at her. "She will do nicely... Open the cell!"   
  
Tyson press a button on a remote control. Mephistomon took a deep breath before exhaling a cloud of inky black gas into the cell. The Johto Team writhed in pain as the gas made contact with their skin. They didn't hear the grinding of the door sliding open. Once the gas cleared they found that Misty was gone! They were terrified for her safety, but little did they realize the consequences of this act.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
"I'm so hungry," groaned James. "Did the twerps have to wander so far out?"   
  
"This is ridiculous," complained Jessie.   
  
The Team Rocket trio had finally gotten back onto the trail of Ash and friends after they left the Digital World. They managed to track them down all the way to the Lake of Rage north of Mahogany Town. So far, they have yet to actually see Ash's group moving through the wilderness. Meowth looked ahead and spotted a large building with a curved roof. It was beside a beautiful lake with crystal clear blue water.   
  
Meowth pointed at the structure. "Hey look, a barn house!"   
  
"Where there's a barn house, there's a kitchen! Where there's a kitchen, there's FOOD!" exclaimed Jessie.   
  
The trio rushed into the building and encountered a long hallway lined with statues of Persian. "All I see are Persians. Where are the provisions?" asked James.   
  
"We have to find the kitchen first," replied Jessie.   
  
Meowth looked around, as though suspicious of his environment. "I have a funny feeling that we're being watched!"   
  
"I don't see how," said Jessie as she scanned the room.   
  
"All I see are Persian statues," said James as he admired one of the statues. "Granted, they're a very good likeness."   
  
Suddenly, a wall of metal bars shot out of a groove in the ground before them! The Team Rocket trio was caught completely off guard. They turned to run the other way, only to be blocked by a similar wall! They tried to force the bars apart, but the steel was too strong for them to bend barehanded. Tyson and a squad of grunts approached to inspect the intruders to his lab.   
  
"We're innocent I tell you!" begged Meowth.   
  
"We were framed!" begged James.   
  
"Enough!" shouted Tyson. "You three have a lot of nerve to break in here!"   
  
Jessie remarked the red "R" emblem on the jackets of Tyson and his grunts. "You're Team Rocket!"   
  
"That's right!" replied Tyson. "...And it looks like you are too." Tyson turned to one of his men. "Well, are they?"   
  
"I checked the database and sure enough, they're legit," replied the grunt. "They're Jessie, James, and a Meowth. They were recently demoted to rookie, and are making zero contribution to the team."   
  
"Now hold on a minute!" replied James indignantly. "We're at least one to two percent worthwhile!"   
  
"Yeah, we put the 'rock' in Team Rocket!" chimed Meowth.   
  
"It says here they'll do anything for food," continued the grunt.   
  
"Maybe we can make use of them," pondered Tyson. "Show them to the mess hall and give them a good meal."   
  
"Oh, thank you!" replied the trio.   
  
The grunts showed the three to the mess hall where the trio wolfed down bowl after bowl, and plate after plate of food. After several minutes, Tyson and Sebastian entered. "That's enough for now. Time to earn your keep!" said Tyson.   
  
"Okay, what do you want us to do?" asked James.   
  
"Who's that man beside you?" asked Jessie.   
  
Tyson introduced his partner, Sebastian. "This is Professor Sebastian. He's the driving force behind Project R."   
  
"Project R stands for Project Revolution," continued Sebastian. "Let me ask you, Meowth, how did you learn to talk?"   
  
Meowth narrated his story about his unrequited love for Meowsie. "Why do you ask?"   
  
"In layman's terms, Project R will elevate Pokemon and Digimon to an unheard of level," replied Sebastian. "It will put Team Rocket at the head of Pokemon science! Imagine a Pokemon being born able to talk like you can! Wouldn't you like to have the strength of a Machamp, or the brain power of an Alakazam? Project R will make all of these dreams become reality!"   
  
"Wow!" remarked James. "Where do we fit into this?"   
  
"We could always use more workers on our project," said Tyson. "Do a good job, and you can get a big fat bonus alongside your salary!"   
  
"What are we waiting for?" asked Jessie, barely able to contain her excitement. "What's our first job?"   
  
Tyson smiled. "Eager to begin, eh? We need some people to help get some DNA samples from some Ekans and Tentacruel in our lab. Sebastian will tell you more."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Meanwhile, another person was investigating the attack on Mahogany by the Black Gyarados. He was a government agent who was tasked with patrolling the wildness for crimes against Pokemon and the environment. He was a young man about seventeen or eighteen years old. His head was covered with fiery red hair. Unlike a typical agent, he wore a black and red jumpsuit and a matching black cape. This man was Lance, one of the Elite Four, and thus one of the mightiest Pokemon trainers in the world.   
  
Lance specialized in Dragon type Pokemon, and was seated on the back of such a Pokemon. Its orange scales were hard and felt cool to the touch. The Dragon Pokemon was a Dragonite, a Pokemon that was often associated with Lance. Dragonites were among the most powerful species of Pokemon, just below the Legendaries in sheer strength. He and his partner were flying northwards and following the river.   
  
Though it was night, Lance was able to spot a set of unfamiliar buildings at the north edge of the Lake of Rage. He wisely decided to approach the rest of the way on foot, using the vegetation and darkness as cover. He took refuge inside of a hangar after evading several Team Rocket patrols. A guard wandered by the doors and Lance snatched him from his post. He gave a swift karate chop to the back of the guard's neck and stole his uniform. As Lance left the hangar, he cleaned his newly acquired shades.   
  
Lance entered the main building, which almost looked like a hangar. It had the trademark red "R" of Team Rocket emblazoned on its side. He casually walked past the guards who dismissed him as a Team Rocket grunt. The hallways were made of grey metal, and little was done to lighten up the drab, lifeless scenery. Lance came upon an office area where the workers processed the hideout's paperwork.   
  
Lance's eyes darted from door to door in search of something. "Where's the filing room?"   
  
His eyes locked onto a set of cabinets behind the window of a door. A keypad was beside the door, and it controlled the electronic lock on the door. After scanning for wandering guards, Lance pulled out an electronic tool resembling a small screwdriver. Upon pressing a button, it released a small electromagnetic pulse which scrambled the keypad. The door popped open and Lance stepped in.   
  
Lance read and photographed several sensitive documents. "My God!"   
  
This hideout was actually a lab that held various experiments on elevating the power of Pokemon and Digimon. Each species had their hurdles to overcome in order to reach their full potential. Pokemon had great versatility, but lacked raw power. In the Digimon case, the converse was true. They had the potential to grow more powerful than Pokemon due to Digivolution. However, there was a limiter placed on Digimon by their Sovereigns. This limiter prevented access to the highest level, Mega, thus no Digimon could go higher than Ultimate level.   
  
These problems led to the research in the Lake of Rage lab. These experiments used a mystical artefact, a Stone of Doom called the Fires of Hatred. Earlier experiments resulted in corrupt black Pokemon like the Black Gyarados. Later ones sought to exceed the Black Pokemon, and resulted in the creation of powerful chimeras. All creatures resulting from these experiments had a hateful, vicious nature that exceeded that of a Gyarados.   
  
Lance was appalled to discover all of this. From memos, Lance discovered that Kanto had been funding this operation for a long time. The rumours of Kanto's genetic experiments on Pokemon were true. These experiments were not just unethical; they were flagrantly illegal and immoral. The worse part was that Team Rocket conducted some of their experiments on humans. He had to get this abominable place shut down as soon as possible. He continued reading to learn more about the lab.   
  
Lance flipped through the scientific reports on different species of chimeras. One species of note was the Medusa. It was a Tentacruel with several Ekans grafted onto its body. It had the ability to speak any language like a Digimon, and moved by floating in the air. Medusa was a Water and Poison type like Tentacruel, and had appropriate abilities. It also had the ability to use beam attacks like Hyper Beam and Ice Beam. It was much stronger than a Tentacruel and an Ekans put together.   
  
The other species of note was the insidious Doppelganger; a human-Ditto hybrid. Unlike the others, Doppelgangers were made with Hypocrisy, and not Hatred. They were shape-shifters that could not only assume the form of any Pokemon, but also that of any human as well. Lance discovered that Doppelgangers had replaced members of Johto's government! Their leader was impersonating the President of Johto, but fortunately, only five existed. After snapping photos of the documents, he covered his tracks and left to explore further.   
  
Lance entered a new area and was greeted by the sight of strange equipment. There were several machines that resembled giant blenders. Each machine consisted of a control box on the bottom, with a cylindrical glass column clamped on top. The air was filled with a pungent scent and Lance plugged his nose in disgust. He concluded the smell to be from the green liquid in the columns. Lance had found the lab he was looking for, and snapped pictures for police intelligence.   
  
He could see an object suspended within each of the columns, and moved closer to get a better view. It was a Tentacruel! It was completely immobile, as though in a state of suspended animation. There were other species of Pokemon there, including three which he recognized as the Legendary Bird trio of Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. Lance noted that there were Digimon specimens there as well. This room acted as a storage facility for all the specimens used in Team Rocket's experiments.   
  
Lance saw Rocket goons filling a column with the green preservative. "Watch it James! You're going to spill that stuff!" said the female Rocket.   
  
"Yeah, Tyson was furious when you spilled it the last time!" scolded Meowth.   
  
"Sorry," replied James. "Hey! Why am I the only one who's working?"   
  
Tyson interrupted the trio's argument. "You three, get back to work!" He turned to Lance. "Show's over! Get those canisters to the back!"   
  
"Yes sir!" replied Lance.   
  
Lance grabbed some canisters lying on the side and entered the rear. He was greeted by the sight of several plastic vats. Each vat contained an unknown creature suspended in green fluid. One such vat contained a fearsome humanoid creature with the body and head of a Machamp. It had a pair of sharp horns protruding upwards. Its large cloven feet like that of the bull-like Tauros. Its wings had bright, fiery orange feathers, but Lance didn't recognize what creature they came from. He took a sneak peak at the clipboard and discovered the creature's name; Balrog.   
  
It was concentrated around a vat at the back of the room. As Lance walked by, he glanced at the experiment. A beautiful sixteen year old girl was suspended in the vat naked. Her eyes were closed, as though she was in a catatonic state. There were scars from surgery across the areas below her waist. A scientist climbed up to the top and focused some kind of metallic emitter into the vat. The emitter was wired to an unknown device that was powered by a statue made of a strange black gemstone. It looked like a flame with an evil, hate-filled visage.   
  
The operator, Sebastian, pressed a button and the emitter began to hum lightly. Instantly, the girl underwent drastic physiological changes. Her legs began to turn into the gleaming, scaly tail of a violet snake. Her skin turned a lifeless grey, as though the blood had been drained from her veins. Her hair turned a deep shade of violet, as gills formed on her neck, and four more arms grew out of her body. Despite these unusual changes, the girl still possessed a dark beauty about her.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Back in the specimen room, Team Rocket noted a pair of figures entering their room. "What is the status of Balrog?" asked Mephistomon.   
  
"We are progressing quite nicely. We can send Balrog over for conditioning as soon as tomorrow," replied Tyson.   
  
Mephistomon was satisfied. "Good! I expect to see them on the field of battle soon. I'm leaving to oversee the development of our new weapon. Continue your work!"   
  
"Thank you, sir!" replied Tyson. Mephistomon vanished in a cloud of black vapour.   
  
James as he glanced over at Tyson. "Who was that speaking to Tyson?"   
  
"I don't know, but he looks like a Digimon," noted Jessie. "He doesn't look like any Pokemon I know of." She noticed a shiver of fear running down Meowth's spine. "Are you okay, Meowth?"   
  
"I'm fine, just scared!" replied Meowth. "I feel pure evil coming from him!"   
  
"I don't feel anything," admitted Jessie.   
  
"Same here," said James.   
  
"You guys don't feel anything 'cause you're human, but I'm a Pokemon, and we can sense things you can't. He's bad news for all of us!" 


	17. Marilith's Resentment

Kell Shock:   
Yep, I'm a fan of D&D computer games. Have you ever played Neverwinter Nights or any of the other games?   
  
  
  
AnT:   
Yeah, I heard of it. Personally, I'd prefer new games to remakes, but I guess you need a legit way to get the old Pokemon into Ruby/Sapphire. ;) Unfortunately, they don't have a vulture-like Pokemon quite yet. I used "vulture" to describe May's opportunistic (in Misty's view) attempt at getting Ash.   
  
  
  
KingofCrossovers:   
A)Misty's love will play a role in the resolution of this part.   
  
B)Not exactly.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 16: Marilith's Resentment   
  
  
  
  
  
Lance snuck out of the lab. After witnessing Sebastian's experiments, thoughts of that girl lingered in his mind. He wondered who she was, and how she came to be an experimental subject. No matter what, this experiment would change her life forever, and a similar fate awaited others so long as this place existed. Lance combed through several metal corridors, eluding Rocket guards all the way. He came upon a pair of guards seated in a lounge, drinking coffee and having a casual conversation.   
  
"I heard these kids were caught snooping around," said the first guard.   
  
"Yeah," confirmed the second. "We put them in the brig."   
  
"What's the boss gonna to do with'em?"   
  
"He says he's gonna to put'em to good use. They're already using one of the girls in an experiment. They call her 'Marilith,' and turned her into this sexy snake woman..."   
  
Lance was intrigued by those two clowns conversation. Those kids might be able to provide some useful information. He decided to locate the brig, and came upon a hallway lined with doors. Each door had a window at its top and centre made with some kind of hard plastic. Each door was made of solid steel and looked impossible to break down. Beside each door was a keypad meant for entering a numeric password.   
  
Lance looked into the first door on his right, and determined it to be a storage room for confiscated items. There were four unknown handheld devices and several Pokeballs lying beside examination and diagnostic tools on a desk. He continued his search, eventually finding a cell with children locked inside. He scanned around vigilantly before zapping the keypad with his scrambler. A jumble of symbols flashed by on the LCD, and the indicating light turned green. As Lance entered, the children took notice.   
  
"Who are you?" asked TK.   
  
"A friend," replied Lance, as he took off his shades to reveal his face.   
  
Ash recognized him after a brief recollection. "Why you're... You're Lance of the Elite Four!"   
  
Lance nodded affirmatively. "I'm also a Pokemon G-man. I'm here undercover to shut this place down. Hold on, I'm taking out the keypad!" Lance directed his scrambler to the keypad and the lock clicked open.   
  
"Where's Misty?" asked Ash.   
  
"Well... I heard these Rocket guys talking about some experiments on a girl. She might be the Misty you're looking for," replied Lance as he zapped the restraining ring on Ash's body. It fell to the ground with a clang.   
  
"Where are our Pokemon and Digimon?" asked May.   
  
"What about our Digivices?" asked Mimi.   
  
Lance continued to zap the rest of the restraining rings. "Try the storage area down the hall. As for your monsters, they would be in the specimen room, but it's very heavily guarded. Get your stuff first, then come back and I'll tell you the plan."   
  
The Johto Team retrieved their belongings and ran back to meet Lance. "What's the plan? There isn't much time!" urged Ash.   
  
"Okay, okay. In order to get in, we need to get rid of the guards," replied Lance. "I'll create a diversion, and when I return, I'll show you to the lab."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Back in the lab, Jessie, James, and Meowth were busy preparing the Medusas for transport out of the lab. Despite being comatose, the Medusas were unnerving to behold. The fear of them suddenly waking up and going berserk was always in the back of their minds. Helming a crane, Meowth pulled one of the Medusa out of the vat. The green fluid dripped down with a light pitter-patter. Being the unlucky one, James got stuck with the job that actually required touching them. He quickly pushed it into a capsule, not wanting to touch that thing for too long.   
  
"Why do I always get stuck with the dangerous jobs?" asked James. He rolled the capsule gently towards his co-worker, Jessie.   
  
The two of them loaded it onto a truck and pulled the capsule upright. "Meowth's working the crane, and I have to oversee everything."   
  
"Oh I get it now, you two are too scared to touch those Medusas."   
  
Before Jessie could reply, Tyson approached. "Are you done loading them?"   
  
"Yep, that was the last one," replied James.   
  
"Good. Take care of the lab while we're gone. I'm going to ship those canisters out."   
  
"Yes sir!" replied Jessie and James.   
  
Tyson and Sebastian boarded the truck as other Rocket grunts boarded humvees. After a few minutes, the convoy disappeared into the distance. Jessie, James, Meowth had some free time, so they decided to look around. James peered in the vat that contained the large, demonic Balrog. He was a fearsome creature indeed, even while in suspended animation within the tank. James cringed at the thought of Balrog chasing him.   
  
"He looks mean even when he's asleep," James remarked.   
  
"Check this one out." Jessie pointed at Marilith. "There's no way she can compare to me!" boasted Jessie, as she struck a pose to show off.   
  
"There's something oddly familiar about that snake girl..." said Meowth. "I get the feeling we've seen her before."   
  
"I don't see how, but yeah, I get the same feeling too," admitted Jessie.   
  
"I'm hungry. What are we waiting here for? Let's get the food!" exclaimed James.   
  
The trio stormed the mess hall for dinner. They proceeded to wolf down mountains of food with the worst table manners the staff had ever seen. Jessie shovelled a whole plate full of spaghetti into her mouth as quickly as she could. It left her lips surrounded by a ring of red sauce. James spilt drops of gravy from his turkey, leaving several brown splotches on his bib. Meowth got a white moustache of milk on his upper lip. The three piled up dirty plates by the dozen to the shock of the kitchen staff.   
  
"Mmmm!" muttered Jessie between bites. "This stuff is good!"   
  
"A meal fit for a king!" added Meowth.   
  
All of a sudden, the lights out! After a second, the lights turned on, but not as brightly as before. An alarmed blared through the building like a hammer hitting a bell at a machinegun's rate. James wiped himself clean on a napkin. "What's going on?"   
  
Meowth smelled smoke in the air. "Fire!"   
  
The trio rushed out of the room to see a small wisp of smoke in the air. Several Team Rocket grunts were scrambling for equipment to extinguish the fire. Jessie stopped one of the grunts for information. "Where's the fire?"   
  
"The electrical room! There's a big fire and smoke everywhere!" replied the alarmed grunt.   
  
"Tyson's not going to like this when he comes back!" noted Meowth.   
  
"What caused the fire?" asked Jessie.   
  
"Something must have shorted out. I'm sorry but I gotta be going!" The grunt ran off into the midst of the chaos.   
  
The trio checked the electrical room, and found several grunts aiming a hose inwards. The smoke was now thicker since they were close to the fire's source. Tongues of flame seemed to dart out of the door, as though reaching out of the room. The foam hissed as grunts sprayed it into the room. After a few minutes, they extinguished the flames, but the stench of burning remained, as did the scorch marks on the walls inside. Fortunately, no one was injured, though many were still agitated from event.   
  
Since there was nothing left to see, Jessie, James, and Meowth returned to the lab, to find an alarming sight. The twerps and their buddies were raiding the room! "Hey you! Those are Team Rocket's!" cried James.   
  
"You stole them first!" snapped Sora.   
  
Jessie noticed Lance and began to realize what had truly happened. "You! You must be the one who started that fire! Who are you?"   
  
Lance took off his sunglasses and hat, and tossed them aside. "You got that right! I'm Lance, the Pokemon G-man, and I'm here to shut this place down!"   
  
"I don't care if you're a he-man or a tree-man!" In a flash of crimson light, Jessie released her Pokemon. "Get'em Arbok!"   
  
Similarly, James released a Pokemon of his own. "Go, Victreebel!" The moment the Flycatcher Pokemon appeared, it swallowed James whole. "EEEE! Not me! Them!"   
  
"Patamon, Digivolve to Angemon!" Angemon assumed a combat stance, ready to take on the Rockets.   
  
"Cyndaquil, I choose you!" Ash lobbed a Pokeball and the Fire Mouse Pokemon materialized, ready for battle. "Flamethrower!"   
  
Flames gushed out of Cyndaquil's mouth, but Victreebel dodged. Instead, the flames scorched the see-through plastic of a specimen column. Victreebel struck back with a lash of Vine Whip, tagging Cyndaquil across the cheek. The Fire Mouse was not about to quit so early in the fight. He leapt back onto his feet, and confused his opponent with Agility-enhanced speed. His body was like a streak as he rammed Victreebel into the ground with a Quick Attack.   
  
Arbok locked his gaze upon Angemon, who was hovering in the middle of the air. Arbok opened with a Poison Sting, spitting out several needles. Angemon spun his staff in a circle, forming a protective wall of Holy energy, which dissipated the needles harmlessly. Jessie changed attacks, this time ordering a Wrap Attack. Arbok coiled his body around his foe, and the two dropped onto the ground. After a roll, Arbok was on top trying to Bite Angemon, but being held at bay by the Angel Digimon.   
  
"You can beat him Angemon!" encouraged TK. "Go for the neck!"   
  
Angemon suddenly got a suffocating grip around Arbok's throat. Arbok weakened and released his hold on Angemon. He threw the Cobra Pokemon away, and returned upright to see his foe do the same. Arbok charged in for a new Bite attack, but Angemon was ready. He countered by firing a golden beam of Holy energy from his fist. Arbok landed on the ground beside Victreebel hard.   
  
"It's up to Meowth now! Fury Swipes!" As he charged, Meowth slashed the air rapidly. He was met by a Flamethrower and a Hand of Fate, and landed right beside Arbok and Victreebel.   
  
Team Rocket grunts stormed the room from the rear. "They're coming from behind!" cried Lance. "Go Dragonite! Hyper Beam!"   
  
A powerful energy beam erupted from Dragonite's mouth, and slammed the first grunt into a wall. His buddies stepped up and began sending Pokemon into battle. The Johto Team turned their attention to the grunts, forgetting Jessie, James, and Meowth in the chaos of the battle. The three watched the grunts and Johto Team fight, but didn't like the way the battle was going. Team Rocket was being steamrolled.   
  
Jessie watched as Torchic incinerated a Blastoise with Flamethrower. "This is not good!"   
  
Togemon jabbed a Graveler and knocked it into a specimen tank. The column collapsed and the fluid spilled all over the ground. Meowth was panicking. "We got to do something!"   
  
"Well, what do we do?" asked James. "I'm all out of ideas!"   
  
Meowth remembered the two experiments in the lab. "Ah! We can send Balrog after the twerps!"   
  
"Yeah! Good idea!" said Jessie.   
  
The three snuck into the back unnoticed amidst the chaos. They proceeded to operate the controls near the vats. The height of the fluid gradually lowered as it drained into a hole on the bottom of the vats. Once his vat was emptied, Balrog began to stand up groggily. He stretched his muscles and flapped his massive wings. With a strong leap, Balrog leapt out of the vat and landed with a thud.   
  
"Get those twerps in the other room!" commanded Meowth.   
  
Instead of using the door, Balrog simply smashed his way through the wall. The trio was not too thrilled to see that. Upon sighting his targets, Balrog wreathed his body in roaring flames. The flames cast such a bright light that everyone took notice. Balrog's blood began to boil, and he felt a deeply rooted compulsion to fight and to kill. He formed a massive flaming sword in his hand, and charged at the Johto Team with preternatural speed.   
  
"Dragonite, get out of the way!" called Lance.   
  
Balrog's sword swooshed as it came down on Dragonite, narrowly missing its mark. His chest swelled as he inhaled massive amounts of air for a follow up. He spit out the most powerful Shadow Ball that anyone had ever seen. It exploded in a burst of negative energy that blew down the wall separating the hall from the specimen room. Everyone in the area dove for cover as part of the roof collapsed.   
  
"Watch it! You're supposed to attack the enemy!" cried Meowth. Balrog turned around and sent a Flamethrower Meowth's way. "YEAAAAAH!" With his feline reflexes, Meowth narrowly avoided being roasted.   
  
"Hey, not us! Get them!" James pointed in the direction of the Johto Team, but received a blast of hellish fire for as a response. Fortunately, he ducked at the last minute.   
  
Jessie could only watch as Balrog turned his fiery breath on the Team Rocket grunts. She began panicking. "He's not listening to our commands! He's out of control!"   
  
Meowth was panicking. "What do we do? Tyson's gonna kill us if Balrog doesn't first!"   
  
"We could send Marilith after him," suggested James.   
  
Jessie was shocked. "Are you crazy? What if she goes crazy on us too?"   
  
"Do you have any better ideas? Team Rocket, the twerps, and their friends are getting creamed! I don't think our Pokemon would stand a chance against him!" admitted James.   
  
The trio glanced over at the battle. Balrog locked swords with Magna Angemon. The Archangel Digimon was clearly weakening under the immense strength of his foe. Balrog broke the lock and slashed his opponent onto the ground. A Hyper Beam from Lance's Dragonite and a Solar Beam from a Team Rocket Venusaur toppled Balrog from behind. However, he simply got up and retaliated with a jet of flames.   
  
Out of desperation, Jessie finally caved in. "Alright, let's get going!"   
  
The trio hit buttons on the controls and drained the fluid out of Marilith's vat. The creature got up and took a stretch. "Stop Balrog before he..." said Meowth, before an explosion rocked the building and collapsed the roof!   
  
Team Johto and Team Rocket were buried alive underneath all the rubble. Balrog punched his way out of the lab and the building. Once outside, he levelled the last remnants of the Team Rocket headquarters with Shadow Balls. He roared triumphantly at the devastation he had wrought. Though he felt a deep sense of satisfaction, he still hungered for more. He followed the river southwards, annihilating anything and everything that stood in his way.   
  
An hour passed, and signs of movement came from the rubble. The first to get up was Lillymon, who had shielded Mimi with her body. TK and Magna Angemon crawled out of a pile of smashed plaster. They began to search for other survivors. Mimi found Joe, Ash, and Pikachu being shielded by Ikkakumon, and Sora under Birdramon. TK looked underneath a fallen cylinder and found Lance being shielded by Dragonite.   
  
Lance coughed to clear his throat. "Uggggh! What a monster!"   
  
Mimi and Togemon found a gloved hand jutting out of the rubble, and could hear light groaning underneath. They dug the person out to find out she was Jessie, still dazed from the ordeal. TK found James and Meowth in a similar condition just a short distance from Jessie's location. They cleared the rubble and found the Fires of Hatred buried under some rocks and plaster. The Johto Team excavated the Stone of Doom, and Joe set up shop beside the Lake of Rage to help the injured.   
  
"You okay there?" asked Joe to Jessie.   
  
Jessie let out a pained groan as she rubbed her head. "I'm shook up, but fine."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
A few minutes later in the depths of the Lake of Rage, several drops of off-coloured water slithered out of a grating. It coalesced into an amoeba before forming the torso of a beautiful woman with three pairs of arms. Her skin was a lifeless grey, and her hair a deep shade of violet. The water stretched from the torso and formed the tail of a violet-scaled serpent. Marilith's gills fluttered with the motion of the water as she swam around the edge of the lake.   
  
She heard a familiar male voice speaking on the shore. "You're looking a lot better."   
  
"Yeah Ash, I'm okay," replied the voice of a girl. Marilith recognized the voice, and it made her blood boil.   
  
"That's great!"   
  
Their conversation distorted into a mocking laughter, and Marilith flew into a jealous fury! "Sneaking around behind my back? Grrrrrrrr!"   
  
Marilith popped out of the surface of the water, splashing water everywhere and scaring everyone. Ash was surprised. "Misty?"   
  
James found the whole situation terrifying. "Waaaah! That's the orange-haired twerp?"   
  
"No wonder she looked so familiar!" muttered Meowth, finally realizing the truth.   
  
Jessie gasped. "What did they do to her?"   
  
"How could you?" asked Marilith with sadness and anger. "How could you choose her over me?"   
  
Ash was stunned. "What do you..."   
  
"Shut up! You had to go to her, to that bitch... And then laugh at me behind my back!"   
  
"Misty, what are you talking about?" asked May.   
  
Marilith became raving mad. "You'll feel all the pain I've felt! I'll make you pay! DIE!"   
  
"Run for it!" cried Meowth.   
  
Everyone dove to safety once Marilith shot a powerful column of pressurized water. With Joe, TK, Mimi, and Lance chasing Balrog, their numbers had diminished greatly. Marilith fired a Shadow Ball, and like Balrog, it was extremely powerful. It impacted the ground behind Team Rocket, and exploded in a burst of negative energy. Despite Marilith being Misty in truth, they had no choice but to fight back.   
  
"We have to stop her!" cried Birdramon.   
  
"We can't! We'll hurt Misty!" objected Ash.   
  
"We're just going to knock her out. Birdramon, you know what to do," said Sora.   
  
"Right!" replied Birdramon. "Birdramon, Digivolve to... Garudamon!"   
  
Compared to Marilith, Garudamon was a giant and easily twice as high. The Bird Woman Digimon began the fight with a Wing Blade attack. The fiery, bird-shaped blast scored a direct hit to her abdomen, knocking Marilith down, but not out. Being a Water type, Marilith was resistant to fiery attacks like Garudamon's Wing Blade. She countered with a Hydro Pump which shot her foe out of the sky.   
  
Sora was deeply concerned for her Digimon's welfare. "Garurdamon!"   
  
"Pikaaaa! (That's enough!)" stated Pikachu.   
  
"You said it!" cried Meowth.   
  
Jessie and James unleashed Arbok and Weezing, and the two Pokemon flanked Pikachu with Meowth. "What are you doing?" asked Ash.   
  
"We've going to help you!" replied James.   
  
"Team Rocket crossed a line once they turned the orange-haired one into that... that 'thing!'" replied Jessie.   
  
Ash returned his attention back to the task on hand. "Okay! Let's save Misty together! Thunderbolt!"   
  
"You too Torchic, Focus Energy, then Flamethrower!" commanded May.   
  
"Arbok, Poison Sting!" called Jessie.   
  
"Attack Weezing! Use Sludge!" ordered James.   
  
Torchic's body glowed crimson as a surge of energy flowed through her body. The Poison Sting and Sludge struck as Meowth hacked away at Marilith's base with Fury Swipes. Pikachu's lightning surged through Marilith's body, keeping her stunned until Torchic finished with a jet of empowered flames. Marilith screamed in pain as these powerful attacks hammered her into submission.   
  
"Ash, why?" Marilith cried in anguish. She fell to the ground and laid there motionless.   
  
"Stop hurting her!" ordered Ash. Everyone ceased their attacks and Ash went to check on Marilith.   
  
Suddenly, Marilith's tail lashed out, pulled him down, and coiled around his body! Pikachu, James, and Meowth gasped in shock. "Pikapi! (Ash!)"   
  
"No!" cried May.   
  
"No fair!" cried Jessie.   
  
Marilith returned to a vertical position with a smug grin on her face. "Let's play a little game... I want to see how much pain can you watch him endure?" Marilith began to crush Ash with her tail, muffling his screams of agony.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The scent of burning trees and grass filled the air. Balrog's path of destruction had led him to the dam north of Mahogany Town. Several flashing red lights awaited him, and his blood boiled in anticipation of battle. The lights came from police cars and vans parked so as to create a barricade. Several heavily armed SWAT officers were stationed behind the barrier in preparation to take on the rampaging Pokemon-Digimon hybrid.   
  
"There he is! FIRE!" cried the SWAT commander.   
  
In synch, the officers rained bullets on Balrog with their assault rifles. The air was filled with deafening bangs and the flash of fire from the guns' barrels. Though scoring thousands of direct hits, the SWAT teams soon realized just how ineffective their weapons truly were. Balrog didn't even flinch at all, even with so many bullets striking him at once. They lobbed tear gas and grenades at him only to find they were just as useless as the assault rifles.   
  
"He's not going down!" cried a panicked officer.   
  
Balrog's fiery breath made a swooshing roar as it left his mouth. The SWAT officers fled the barricade as the heat melted the vehicles' chassis. A violent, fiery explosion rocked the barricade as the fuel tanks ignited. An expression of pure joy crept onto Balrog's inhuman face. He leapt onto a car and Stomped it flat. He turned left and fired a Shadow Ball which burst and shot officers and vans several feet into the air. Once Balrog had his fill of the slaughter, he stormed away to Mahogany City itself.   
  
Minutes later, Mimi and the others approached the destruction. "How horrible!"   
  
"What a disaster!" commented Lillymon.   
  
"He's nearby," noted Lance. "We have to hurry, or Mahogany will be like the police below!"   
  
"Even if we find him, how do we beat him?" asked Joe. "He took us and several Team Rocket men out! He's as powerful as a Mega Digimon, and we don't have War Greymon or Metal Garurumon to fight him."   
  
"Well, even if we don't have a Mega, we still have to try," observed Gomamon. "The city is counting on us."   
  
"There he is!" cried TK, as he pointed below.   
  
Magna Angemon pointed to an empty lot north of Balrog's location. "We'll land there to get ready for the fight."   
  
The squad landed in the very lot Magna Angemon pointed to. It was filled with burning cars, and others were flipped over. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Balrog had been in this area. He could be seen in the distance as a small red humanoid figure flinging fire and Shadow Balls around. Once Lance and the others got onto the ground safely, the monsters charged into the fray with their partners following close behind.   
  
"Gomamon, Digivolve to... Ikkakumon! Ikkakumon, Digivolve to... Zudomon!"   
  
The Walrus Warrior, Zudomon, rushed Balrog with hammer poised to strike. The infernal hybrid suddenly turned around and parried with his flaming sword. Their weapons locked and each struggled to overpower the other. The intense, blistering heat from Balrog's flames caused Zudomon great discomfort. This trait gave the demon the advantage, allowing him to break the struggle and cut Zudomon down.   
  
Magna Angemon threw several slashes with his holy sword Excalibur. Balrog parried each hit until one broke through. It caught him across the chest, causing him to recoil back and scream in pain. Lillymon and Dragonite snuck behind and launched a Flower Cannon and Hyper Beam into Balrog's exposed back. Balrog collapsed forward with a thud and the three monsters regrouped with Zudomon.   
  
"You okay Zudomon?" asked Lillymon.   
  
"Yeah," he replied. Balrog began to recover from the three pronged attack. "He's getting up, let's combine attacks and finish him off!"   
  
"Magna Angemon, let's do it!" called TK.   
  
Magna Angemon led the charge by slashing Balrog with Excalibur. The other three monsters initiated their own attacks. At the same time, Balrog was smacked down by a Hyper Beam, Flower Cannon, and a Vulcan's Hammer blast. The demon collapsed and remained on his back for a few minutes. Everyone thought they had won until Balrog's second wind shattered their celebration.   
  
He was furious and came at them with a vengeance, spitting several Shadow Balls. Their explosive force clocked Zudomon and sent him back to Rookie form. Magna Angemon evaded futilely until one finally caught him, and then a second, returning him to Patamon. Lillymon and Dragonite successfully evaded the attacks, thus Balrog switched to Flamethrower. The flames scorched Lillymon and Dragonite into crash landing on the ground with a thud. Balrog roared triumphantly and continued his Mahogany rampage.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Marilith continued to crush the life out of Ash. Garudamon grabbed the Fires of Hatred. "Let him go or I'll destroy it!" she threatened.   
  
Marilith was unmoved. "Go ahead. It means little to me, anyways."   
  
"You're bluffing!" Garudamon began to crush the Stone of Doom lightly in her claw.   
  
"I don't depend on a silly work of art for MY power. You're just wasting your time!"   
  
Ash's expression was of complete agony. "Pikapi! (Ash!)" Electricity began to crackle on Pikachu's cheek.   
  
Marilith waggled her figure to scold Pikachu. "Uh uh uh! If you shock me, you'll hit your trainer too. Now you don't want that to happen, do you? Considering how 'tied up' he is now, it just might do more harm than good..."   
  
Pikachu begrudgingly relented, and a smug grin reformed on Marilith's face. Team Rocket was growing frustrated. "We got to do something!" said James.   
  
"You heard her! If we try anything, the twerp's a goner!" warned Meowth.   
  
"That's right! What can you do? Hmmm..." mocked Marilith. "You can just stand there and watch him die, or you can attack me and I'll just use him as a shield. Tough choice..."   
  
With time running out and Ash being crushed to death, Sora attempted a final, desperate gambit. "Will you let frustration and resentment harden your heart?" she cried to Marilith. "Do you want to see Ash die without ever telling him how you feel, how you love him, Misty?"   
  
Sora's poignant question elicited an immediate, but unexpected response. Marilith was stricken with pain that coursed through her body. It was so unbearable that it forced her to release Ash. It was as though Misty was screaming in anguish from the deepest recesses of Marilith's black heart. A warm pink light began shining from the centre of her chest. At the same time, a similar light shined through Sora's shirt. Each transformed into an abstract emblem resembling a heart.   
  
Sora gazed at the all too familiar emblem on her and Marilith's chest. "The Crest of Love?" Sora could feel warmth radiating from within her body. It was almost overwhelming. It was as though the two Crests were resonating with each other.   
  
Garudamon suddenly reverted to Biyomon. "What happened?" she asked, noticing what happened. Biyomon could a feel a warm strength beginning to surge through her body. "I feel the power flowing through me! Biyomon, Warp Digivolve to..."   
  
A raging fire burned in Biyomon's eyes, as the power of Love propelled her past her Birdramon and Garudamon forms. It swallowed her whole in a ball of blazing flame. As the fire died down, wings of gold protruded outwards. The helmed head of a bird emerged, followed by the rest of her body. Once the new Digimon had fully formed, she fanned out her wings, let out a shrill screech, and released a brilliant flash of golden light.   
  
"Phoenixmon!"   
  
Everyone was in awe of the sight of glowing golden bird hovering overhead. "Pika! (Incredible!)" was all Pikachu could say.   
  
"So beautiful!" commented Jessie.   
  
"I'll say. The light is melting my heart!" added Meowth.   
  
Sora was amazed. "Biyomon Digivolved? To Mega? How?"   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Phoenixmon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Attacks: Starlight Explosion, Crimson Flame   
  
The power of Love bought this holy bird into existence. She is a symbol of rebirth. Her divine flames sear the very soul of those who are evil.   
====================================================   
  
"Yes. This is the Sovereigns' work. They removed the seal, and the power of Misty's love brought me into existence," replied Phoenixmon. "Time to save Misty!"   
  
Marilith was still wracked by pain when Phoenixmon swooped down and snatched her off the ground. After gaining some height, Phoenixmon invoked her Starlight Explosion attack. A small globe of golden, Holy energy gathered about her, and then burst in a blinding flash of light. Once the light cleared, Marilith's body rested limp and motionless on the ground. From the look on her face, she almost seemed content...   
  
Sora checked for her pulse. "She's alive... just barely. I'm going to get Joe and Magna Angemon. We need the two of them to heal her. May, please take care of Ash, and Misty while I'm away."   
  
"Okay, but please hurry," replied May.   
  
Phoenixmon raced for Mahogany as fast as she could carrying Sora on her back. It wasn't long before they came upon the sight of a decimated city. The smell of smoke was strong in the air, and fires still burned in some of the buildings. Others had been completely levelled, and all that remained of them was rubble. Phoenixmon descended beside Lance and his group. The Digimon and Lance's Pokemon were beat from fighting Balrog.   
  
"Are you guys okay?" asked Sora.   
  
"We're fine," replied TK. "...But we would feel better if that Balrog was out of the way. Is that Biyomon?"   
  
"Yeah. It's a long story, but I need Joe and Magna Angemon to go back to the lake. Marilith attacked us, and we were forced to defend ourselves," informed Sora.   
  
Joe was shocked. "Is she alright?"   
  
"Yeah, barely," replied Sora. "You and Magna Angemon need to go there right away. She and Ash need your attention."   
  
"Okay, we're on our way," replied Joe, not wanting to waste time. "Let's go TK."   
  
"Right behind you," replied Patamon. He transformed into Magna Angemon and ferried Joe, Gomamon and TK back to the lab.   
  
"What about you?" asked Lance.   
  
"Phoenixmon will take care of that hot head!" replied Sora. "Right?"   
  
Phoenixmon nodded silently before taking to the air. She scanned below for Balrog's whereabouts. She found him heading southward, demolishing anything that got in his way. He was unaware of her presence since he was having a ball, and his back was turned. This was the perfect opportunity to strike. She swooped from the sky and pulled Balrog into the air like she did with Marilith. Using maximum power, Phoenixmon unleashed a massive burst of Holy energy.   
  
In his room in the hospital, a bright flash of light blinded Pryce and his nurse. Once it cleared, a massive explosion shook the foundations of the hospital. The nurse was terrified and nearly lost her balance. Lance, Sora, and the others looked on and cheered, for they realized that Phoenixmon was victorious. The charred fragments of Balrog tumbled back to the earth. His flaming sword crashed onto a vacated street, cracking it with a loud clang.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Joe made a check up on Ash and Marilith. "Are they going to be alright?" asked Jessie.   
  
"Ash is going to be fine. He just needs some rest," replied Joe.   
  
"What about the snake girl?" asked Meowth.   
  
"Magna Angemon will take care of that," replied Joe.   
  
Magna Angemon spread his wings and channelled rays of purifying energy onto Marilith's limp body. Instantly, a black miasma began to seep out of her body. The unholy visages on the fog were tortured and unwilling to leave their host. After a few seconds of exposure, the miasma had been exorcised and vanished into thin air. Marilith's tail and hair turned a beautiful sapphire blue, and her skin became an olive green reminiscent of the sea. Two pairs of her arms returned into her body, leaving only one remaining.   
  
Magna Angemon ceased using his Magna Antidote. "She's hasn't returned back to old self!" scolded James.   
  
"I can't do anymore," replied Magna Angemon. "I've already removed all of the evil possessing her."   
  
"Why isn't she waking up?" asked Jessie. "She's not going to stay half-human, half-snake forever, is she?"   
  
"She's in a coma, but she'll come out eventually," replied Joe. "Her mutation is another matter, because it's not the evil that made Misty this way. It is the result of Team Rocket's genetic alterations. It's really advanced stuff, and I don't think anyone can cure her. I'm sorry. She'll probably be like this for the rest of her life."   
  
Just that moment, Lance and the others came back. "How is she?" he asked. Joe explained the situation to everyone's dismay. "So no luck making her human again... At least Ash is okay. As for these three..."   
  
Team Rocket was alarmed. "Wait!" requested Sora. "Lance, these people helped us fight Marilith." The trio began to nod, liking where this was going.   
  
Lance looked at the trio. "Hmmm, the police will be coming here very soon. How about this; you tell us everything you know about the lab, and help Sora and the others get the Stones of Doom. In exchange, I'll let this slide. Do we have a deal?"   
  
The trio began grovelling at Lance's feet. "Oh thank you, thank you!" said James.   
  
"We have a deal! We'll help in anyway we can!" added Meowth. 


	18. Weapons of Mass Destruction, part 1

Luis:   
I have a chapter or part in mind that does take place in Silph Town. Right now, I'm thinking of having Gary, Whitney, and Ritchie do something to support the war effort.   
  
  
  
Gijinka Renamon:   
I guess you won't like what Kanto does in this chapter very much...   
  
  
  
AnT:   
Yeah, I remembered what the Digidestined said after being digitized by Apocalymon. They implied that the Crests can also draw power from others as well as the Crest's holder.   
  
Yeah, I heard about that RPG, and it's about time they made one! A Gamecube RPG is exactly what Pokemon fans want, not a Stadium type game. I hope in the future, that they emphasize the RPG even more, and reduce the Stadium part to be more of a mini game like those seen in other RPGs.   
  
  
  
Kell Shock:   
I was thinking of a naga or lamia in a more general sense for Misty's new body. Since she has such an affinity for the water, I made her have oceanic colours, sort of like Ranamon from Frontier.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 17: Weapon of Mass Destruction, part 1   
  
  
  
  
  
In a Pokemon Centre in Celadon City, a pair of fugitive teenagers took refuge from Kanto's soldiers. The first was a boy of about thirteen years of age in a pair of orange shorts, and a red T-shirt with black bands. He fell back onto his bed, mussing up his red hair. The second was a girl of the same age with brown bangs that framed her face. She unzipped her red jacket to reveal a white T-shirt with a star symbol coloured in the same colours as the American flag. She hung her jacket on a rack and sat beside the boy.   
  
"Kenji, why don't you check the diary now? I'd like to know why they wanted it so badly," asked the girl, Yuki.   
  
"Sure," replied the boy, Kenji.   
  
Indeed, Kanto was willing to go to any length to get the diary. Its soldiers pursued them relentlessly for many days. Before all of this happened, Kenji and Yuki were on a Pokemon journey, travelling the land of Kanto to capture more Pokemon and gain qualifying Badges for the Indigo League. The war began a few months afterwards, and Kanto began restricting movement within its borders. They returned to Kenji's home and found Nakamura's Diary and an accompanying letter in the mail box, but no sign of the man himself.   
  
They had been only able to read the accompanying letter. They found out that Dr. Nakumura had been kidnapped and held hostage for many months. He was forced to create a new weapon for Kanto, but always felt guilty about it. He kept a diary on what his work in the hope that someone could make use of the information to stop Kanto. Dr. Nakamura told his son that he would certainly be dead by the time he read the letter. It saddened Kenji to hear that. He vowed to fulfill Doctor Nakamura's last request; to bring the book to those resisting Kanto.   
  
Kenji opened the diary and read the writing out loud. "It has been a month since Kanto captured me. They forced me to work on the prototype for their new weapon. It's a large mechanical war machine that I dubbed the 'Army Ant.' The name kinda stuck with my associates."   
  
The Army Ant was a huge robot that was shaped like an ant, hence its name. The Army Ant used Chrome Digizoid, the super metal of the Digital World, as its armour to make it nigh impervious to attack. It had a modular design, making it a highly versatile vehicle. It could be used for forward assaults like a tank, or for shelling enemies like artillery. Despite all these useful features, the Army Ant was complex and costly to produce, making mass production difficult. However, there would be more research afterwards to reduce the cost and complexity.   
  
"A new weapon?" asked Yuki.   
  
"Yeah," replied Kenji. He continued reading. "...I've just adjusted the servos for the Army Ant. I've always found it bizarre that this thing was powered by some black gemstone statue. It looks like two army men looking really pissed off at each other and standing on opposite sides of a gorge. I can't explain it, but I feel very uncomfortable every time I go near it."   
  
"I'm sure there's more to it than just the Army Ant," said Yuki.   
  
Kenji said nothing and continued reading. "A demon visited my lab today to get a progress report. He was the most evil being I've ever seen. I'll never forget his burning red eyes, or those wisps of poisonous vapour he exhaled... I've have always thought going to the new world would bring prosperity, but what was the price? What have we set loose upon our world?"   
  
"A demon?" said Yuki. "A demon is corrupting the government into doing all of these bad things? I don't believe it!"   
  
"Yeah it seems that way, but I actually believe dad," replied Kenji.   
  
"I still think we're missing something," suggested Yuki. "Check the later pages."   
  
Kenji skimmed the pages. "Today, we've installed a rail gun module on the Army Ant. Using electromagnetism, it can propel a shell or rocket over long distances at extreme speeds..." Kenji skipped the rest of the entry and found exactly what he was searching for.   
  
"My God, what have I done? They're going to use the Army Ant to launch nuclear weapons! If that demon is Death, then I am the smith that forged his scythe! After the Nationalist War, Kanto's nuclear program had been dismantled. By creating the Army Ant, I have given Kanto a new way of launching their nukes!"   
  
"Nuclear weapons?" asked Yuki incredulously. "How appalling!"   
  
"Uhuh, and its gets worse!" replied Kenji. "You know those warheads? They're being loaded into stealth missiles! They're going to use it on Lilycove City! We have to get this book to someone fast!"   
  
"Yeah, but who?" asked Yuki. "Who should we give the diary to?"   
  
"Well, Dad said we should find someone who is resisting Kanto. Maybe we should find one of those resistance groups?"   
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea? I heard those groups were very violent..."   
  
"Maybe, but then again, it could be just government propaganda. I've heard rumours of Kanto performing genetic experiments on Pokemon. Other rumours say they've been digging up corpses for some kind of project to create better soldiers for their army. We don't really have much of a choice. We either bring the book to one of these groups, or let Kanto get us like Dad."   
  
Yuki decided not to object any further. "Alright... Maybe we can use that computer to find one of those groups."   
  
The two teenagers scoured the Internet for any information about resistance groups. So far, all they've been able to find were news reports on attacks against Kanto. Most of the attacks were relatively small in damage and scale. The biggest and most heavily covered attacks were perpetrated by the Liberators of Kanto. Their exploits included an attack on a summer camp near the Pallet region. The same group had bombed a TV station in Lavender Town a week ago.   
  
Kenji and Yuki decided to focus on finding the Liberators' website. After browsing through the forums, the posters told a different story about the reasons and nature of the attacks. One such poster was called the "Prodigious One." He had started two key threads, one on the summer camp attack, and the other on the TV station. The summer camp was actually an internment camp where prisoners were forced into slavery to produce weapons. The Liberators attacked to shut the camp down, but Kanto covered up the truth to protect itself.   
  
The same was true of the TV station. It was actually a propaganda centre which employed brainwashing techniques on the people to ensure their obedience. In both cases, cursed artefacts called the Stones of Doom were involved. They were originally holy stones from the Digital World which were corrupted and used by Kanto to support its war effort. There were an artist's depictions of what these artefacts might look like. The two browsed the website and learned all they could. There was much more to the war than what was visible at first glance.   
  
"Send them an E-mail," requested Yuki.   
  
Kenji created a dummy E-mail account, then began the message. On it, Kenji wrote about the Nakamura Diary and quoted an entry about the strange statue that powered the Army Ant. Dr. Nakamura had described the Stone of Hostility quite accurately. He also told them about the nuclear weapons that Kanto was preparing to launch at Lilycove. The two requested asylum with the Liberators, and membership to play an active role in stopping Kanto's atrocities.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Kenji and Yuki entered the food court of the Celadon Department store. It was a noisy from all of the shoppers making small talk with their friends. Several fast food stalls, like burgers and fish and chips, lined the walls of this place. Since Kanto was a part of the Japanese Islands, there was also food from this area, as well as other ethnic food like Chinese and Greek. Kenji and Yuki had scheduled a meeting with a contact here; a boy named Matt.   
  
"Where is he?" asked Yuki.   
  
"I don't know. They said that he was a blond guy eating fish and chips. He's supposed to have a stuffed animal sitting near him," replied Kenji.   
  
They looked around, but couldn't find him just yet. Eventually, Yuki noted such a person sitting in at out of the way table. True to their information, this person was a blond haired boy about the same age as Kenji and Yuki. He had a tray in front of him filled with delicious fish and chips. Each morsel of food was steaming hot and had a golden brown colour. The doll was beside him, and looked like a yellow reptile wearing a pelt of blue wolf's fur.   
  
"That thing looks really lifelike..." commented Yuki. "Are you Matt?" asked Yuki.   
  
"Yep, I'm Matt Ishida," replied Matt as he got up and shook the hands of Yuki and Kenji. "...And you are?"   
  
"I'm Kenji Nakamura."   
  
"...And I'm Yuki Katayama."   
  
"Pleased to meet you. Would you mind letting me have a look at the diary?" asked Matt. Kenji opened the book up and Matt flipped through the pages. "Yep, looks authentic. Let's go somewhere quieter so we can talk."   
  
Matt packed up his meal and the led the two teenagers into a black van in the store's parking lot. "Kenji, Yuki, meet our group."   
  
The van's interior looked like those vans that police used to monitor police plants and undercover agents. Matt introduced each of his allies in turn, beginning with Surge in the driver's seat. He gave a swift thumb up as he started the van. He continued with Izzy and Tentomon, who removed the hidden bugs and cameras on Matt's body. The two had kept a close eye on the whole meeting. They maintained an open line with the other hidden Liberators in the food court, in case this was a trap. Kenji and Yuki were glad to meet a Digimon on their side for once.   
  
"Okay Gabumon, you can move now," said Matt.   
  
The Digimon took a deep breath. "Not soon enough!"   
  
"You're real!" remarked Yuki in shock.   
  
"Yep, that's right! I'm Gabumon, Matt's Digimon partner," said Gabumon.   
  
"I'm glad you're on our side. The only Digimon I've ever seen wanted me dead!"   
  
"Hey, not all of us are bad like those guys or Mephistomon."   
  
"Mephistomon?"   
  
"He's that Digimon we saw on the website, the one that was leading Kanto, remember?" asked Kenji. "I'd like to get my hands around his neck after what he did to dad!"   
  
"Yeah, I remember," replied Yuki. "I'm amazed at how much trouble one Digimon was able to cause..."   
  
"...And it will be much worse if this guy gets those warheads launched!" warned Surge. "Never mind what happens when one of those things blow up, I tell you. Worry more about what comes after."   
  
Izzy nodded. "Surge's right. Mephistomon must be beginning to worry with half of his Stones of Doom gone and the others coming under fire. Now that he has nuclear weapons and a way of launching them, your world is closer to destruction than ever before. If it comes to a point where he can't win, he'll destroy the Pokemon World so that no one can claim it."   
  
"My God, I don't even want to think about it," commented Kenji. "We have to do something!"   
  
"Oh yeah, we'll do something all right..." said Surge. "We're going to blow up the Army Ant!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The van pulled up into base at Vermillion City, where Kenji and Yuki met other members of the Liberators and Team Kanto. After studying the diary, they learned much about the Army Ant. The Army Ant was essentially a mobile nuclear missile silo. It was able to perform hit and run strikes with nuclear weapons. Due to this, no place in the world was safe from Kanto's nuclear weapons. These traits were made worse by the special missiles the Army Ant used.   
  
The missiles actually carried hydrogen bombs, the most powerful kind of nuclear weapon. The Army Ant launched them with its rail gun module, which meant they had no exhaust and were invisible to infrared. They missiles themselves were also specially designed to be invisible to radar. Time was short for the Liberators, because the warheads would be fired within four days! Fortunately, the book also had the location of the Army Ant; the base of Mt. Moon.   
  
Mt. Moon was the home of the Clefairy and Clefable species of Pokemon. It was also the rumoured home of the Moon Stone, a special type of material that can cause certain Pokemon to evolve. Mt. Moon was situated at the edge of a lush green field. The Liberators were out here, in a bid to stop the launch a day before it happened. For Brock, it was an important place personally, as this was where he caught Zubat, who evolved later on into Golbat. Brock sent the Bat Pokemon on an aerial reconnaissance mission.   
  
After surveying the area, Golbat returned to the nearby forest from his mission. "Golbat! Golbat!"   
  
"He says he sees the Army Ant up ahead with several trucks and humvees. There are three Medusas and thirty soldiers," translated Tentomon. "There are no other troops in the area."   
  
"Man, they have those things from the graveyard guarding the Army Ant..." muttered Surge. "If that's how they want to play, my Electric Pokemon will fry those jellyfish!"   
  
"Golbat! (I wanna get those bastards for messing up my home!)" cried Golbat.   
  
"Eager to fight, eh Golbat?" asked Brock rhetorically. "I'm not going to stop you. We'd better get rid of those nukes "   
  
"We'd better be careful if we're going to attack this one," commented Izzy. "One false move, and we'll be glowing like the sun."   
  
"Izzy's got a point kids," said Surge. "Our job is to draw some of those guards away so that our boys can get the Army Ant."   
  
"Leave that to me," said Brock. "I'm sure Golbat can annoy them into leaving the Army Ant."   
  
"Wonderful! Everyone, get your monsters ready to attack. Hide and wait for my signal, then get'em!" ordered Surge.   
  
The Kanto Team hid and waited as Brock set Golbat out to annoy the guards. Golbat hovered overhead and began firing Confuse Rays at the soldiers. The crimson rays disoriented the soldiers and caused them to wobble around as though they had been overdrinking. Golbat let out a screech so shrill that the soldiers felt like their eardrums would burst. They noticed Golbat soon after and were extremely pissed off. They chased him as he fled back to the forest.   
  
Surge heard the soldiers' gunshots and watched as they followed Golbat into the forest. "Now!" cried Surge.   
  
Without warning, the soldiers were beset by Greymon, Garurumon, Gatomon, and Kabuterimon. The four Digimon launched an all out elemental assault upon the soldiers. They could only scream as raging fire and crackling electricity bombarded them. Gatomon leapt from soldier to soldier and cut each of them down with her claws. Onix charged into the soldiers' midst and flung them high into the air like a bowling ball knocking down pins. Smeargle turned the soldiers into artistic sculptures of ice with Ice Beam.   
  
The others took on the tougher Medusa, but even he was outgunned with four Pokemon attacking him at the same time. The combined Thunderbolt attacks of Yuki's Electabuzz and Surge's Raichu hurt much more for a Water type like the Medusa. Two more attacks came in the form of Razor Leaf from Casey's Bayleef, and Shadow Ball from Kenji's Haunter. Medusa never stood a chance. The attacks were so fast and so furious that he couldn't even mount a counter attack. The Kanto Team had won the battle before it even started.   
  
"You have an Electabuzz, Yuki?" asked Casey. "I've always wanted one of those! Electabuzz is the mascot of my favourite team! Wanna trade?"   
  
"Not really, I want to keep Electabuzz," replied Yuki.   
  
Casey was despondent and sighed. "They never want to trade the good players away..."   
  
Surge did a head count on how many soldiers they had eliminated. "Okay, we got about half of them. Our boys should be taking care of the rest of them by now."   
  
Sure enough, the Kanto Team could hear the sounds of explosions and gunfire coming from the direction of the Army Ant. "Surge, do you read me?" Those words came from a female voice over the radio. It was Electra's. "It's a trap! Send assistance ASAP! Some monsters burst out of the Army Ant and attacked us!"   
  
Surge finally realized that everyone had been duped. "Shit!"   
  
Out of anger, Tai grabbed Kenji by the collar of his shirt. "You! You did this! I should've known you were a spy! Now millions are going to die because of you!"   
  
"I didn't know this was going to happen, honest!" cried Kenji. "I don't know why it isn't here. Kanto must have moved the Army Ant to throw us off! I swear it's the truth!"   
  
"Let him go Tai. I believe him! It's not his fault!" cried Kari.   
  
"Kanto murdered his father for trying to reveal the truth. If anyone hates Kanto the most, it would be him!" said Yuki.   
  
"Right now, we need to stick together. Our boys are in trouble, and it's up to us to bail them out!" said Surge. "We can argue later!" Begrudgingly, Tai released the Pokemon trainer.   
  
The Kanto Team rushed to the site of the decoy Army Ant to find that it had been punched open from within. It lied on the ground motionless, with its long metallic grey legs crackling with electricity from ruptured wires. The remnants of several coils laid smashed on the ground. The shattered fragments of a black stone were among the wreckage. The ambush party was a group of monsters which popped out of the black and grey Pokeballs strewn in the wreckage. The Liberators were in heated combat with these monsters, as well as the remaining soldiers and Medusas.   
  
Two of them stood out from the rest. The first looked like a hulking humanoid that had been crossed with the boar-like Piloswine. His face was covered by a coarse coat of brown fur, and had tusks and the snout of a pig. His body was muscular and also covered by a similar coat of fur. He was clad in a leather cuirass, and carried a large studded mace. His eyes were filled with an extreme bloodlust. Izzy dubbed him the Orc, after the creature he commonly encountered in fantasy games.   
  
The second looked like a possible evolutionary form for Magneton. This bizarre creature consisted of nine Magnemite, a Pokemon that resembled a steel eye. Eight of them were arranged in the points of an octagon. These eight didn't have the magnets their predecessors had. The central Magnemite was the only one that did have magnets. It was these magnets that connected the central eyes to the other eight. Kenji nicknamed the creature the Nine Eyes. Its eyes rolled around, searching for different targets to attack.   
  
One of the Nine Eyes' eyes swivelled and locked onto a Dragon type Pokemon in the air. It had purple scales and orange bat-like wings. The eye emitted several beams of freezing energy, but this Pokemon, Salamence, evaded with graceful aerial loops. A second eye locked on and began to launch Shadow Balls. Though Salamence evaded the first and the second, the third eventually caught him in the wing. He spiralled into a free fall, but was lucky to have been recalled by his trainer before he hit the ground.   
  
"Gatomon, it's really bad out there. You'd better Digivolve!" warned Kari.   
  
Gatomon and the other Digimon didn't voice any complaints, seeing the two monstrosities overwhelm the Liberators' Pokemon. Metal Greymon led the charge, launching a Giga Blaster into the Orc's back. The giant Piloswine mutant tumbled face first into the dirt, which served to enrage him further. Metal Greymon blocked a swing of the mace with his Chrome Digizoid arm, and entered into a test of strength with the Orc.   
  
The strain was visible on the faces of both Metal Greymon and the Orc. The Orc freed his mace and butt Metal Greymon in the side of the head with it. He followed with a hard blow to the chest, and then tackled the cybernetic dinosaur onto his back. For good measure, the Orc lifted him up and tossed him aside. Metal Greymon reverted back into Agumon, and Tai pulled him out to check on his condition.   
  
"Don't worry Tai, I'm fine!" said Agumon.   
  
The Orc stomped his foot on the ground, causing it to abruptly shake. It was a struggle for the trainers and Digidestined to stay standing. Kenji's Magmar began spraying Flamethrower at the Nine Eyes, but the shaking threw off his aim. He accidentally hit Angewomon, who was aiming a Celestial Arrow. The misfire threw off her game, allowing the Nine Eyes time to notice her. A mighty tornado, an Aeroblast attack, gushed out of the central eye and blew Angewomon onto her back.   
  
Were Garurumon took a Hyper Beam to the chest and landed in front of Tai to revert to Gabumon. "That's it! Time to play hardball! Agumon, go Mega now!" commanded Tai.   
  
Gabumon got off the ground and was quite miffed at the two mutants. "Yeah, no more Mr. Nice Guy! Gabumon, Warp Digivolve to... Metal Garurumon!"   
  
"Agumon, Warp Digivolve to... War Greymon!"   
  
Both Agumon and Gabumon became replaced by larger, more evolved forms of themselves. The two cybernetic Digimon each picked one of the creatures to take out. War Greymon took the Orc to exact some revenge for those mace strikes earlier on. The Orc charged with his mace brandished. As his swung his mace downward onto the shorter War Greymon, it stopped part of the way. War Greymon had caught the mace and was holding it back.   
  
Try as he might, the Orc was unable to drive the mace onto War Greymon's head. Instead, War Greymon slowly pushed it back until he was able to kick the Orc's hand. The mutant Piloswine recoiled in pain, effectively allowing War Greymon to gain possession of his mace. With a mighty swing, the Digimon of Courage clocked his foe in the side of the head, knocking him out cold. He gathered ambient energy into the form of a sphere, and threw the Terra Force as an explosive finishing blow.   
  
Metal Garurumon locked his gaze on the Nine Eyes. He launched a massive volley of missiles from compartments hidden within his Chrome Digizoid armour. Each explosion encased the outer eyes of the Nine Eyes in a shell of ice, prevented them from ever firing. The middle eye fired a Hyper Beam which Metal Garurumon evaded easily. Metal Garurumon launched his biggest attack, the Giga Missile, and blew the Nine Eyes into millions of pieces.   
  
"So much for him," commented War Greymon.   
  
"They won't be giving us any more trouble," said Metal Garurumon.   
  
If the Orc and Nine Eyes had it bad, the Medusas had it worse. It was definitely not a good day for them, having their first comrade wiped out by a horde of Pokemon. The remaining two got the same treatment in the form of Mega Kabuterimon's Horn Buster and Smeargle and Raichu's Thunderbolt. Upon waving his spoon, Yuki's Kadabra glowed blue and he telekinetically yanked several soldiers into a pile on the ground. Angewomon descended with a Celestial Arrow trained on the soldiers.   
  
"Give up!" she demanded.   
  
The soldiers found themselves being surrounded by more and more angry Pokemon, among them Casey's Bayleef and Brock's Onix. They wisely raised their arms in surrender. The Liberators had beaten the trap but at great cost. The Liberators still had no idea where the real Army Ant was hiding. Lilycove was on the verge of doomsday, with the nukes about to be launched. Izzy picked up a fragment of the fake Stone of Doom. Apparently, the surface had been painted black, but the inside was different and was a light mottled grey instead.   
  
"Painted granite..." he mumbled, before tossing the fragment aside.   
  
"We did all this just for nothing?" asked Tai rhetorically.   
  
Surge was disappointed. "I know kid, I know... The enemy got us big time. There's no hope for Lilycove anymore, but we must continue to search for the Army Ant or else more cities will be destroyed!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Meanwhile, the real Army Ant and its convoy stopped moving in a mountainous region somewhere in Kanto. It lowered its main body to the ground as its cannon rose into the air. Its cannon resembled a pair of metal bars held together by diamond rings placed at equally spaced intervals. Hostility itself had been tucked into a compartment within the Army Ant. The two soldier effigies of Hostility were wired to the bars like the poles of a battery. The cannon turned to the northeast, the direction of Lilycove.   
  
Upon the commander's order, a serviceman activated the system. The eyes of the soldier effigies began to glow red with unholy life, as though Hostility could sense the death and destruction it was about to wrought. The mechanical loader slowly moved the angular missile into the barrel. Within the blurring of rapid motion, the missile shot out of the barrel with a trail of blue light. Nuclear annihilation was rapidly approaching the city of Lilycove.   
  
Due to its unique, stealth oriented design, the Hoenn Alliance had no idea the missile was coming. In a matter of minutes, it had reached the airspace of Lilycove City without encountering any resistance. The result was disastrous. In a flash of blinding white light, the warhead exploded, instantly vaporising all within ground zero. A massive wave of force and flame swept across the helpless city.   
  
The wave hurled everything into the air like a child throwing toys in a fit of rage. The buildings of the city shattered into pieces. A billowing, mushroom-shaped plume of fire and smoke formed in the air over ground zero. Fiery destruction rained on the capital of Hoenn twice more before it was finally over. All that remained of the once sprawling metropolis was a charred, desolate wasteland. It was the end for Hoenn, and the armies of Mephistomon rejoiced, for victory in this land was theirs. 


	19. The Cursed Soldiers of Mephistomon

Duo:   
Yeah, it was my inspiration for the Army Ant. I liked Metal Gear Solid and I have the original Metal Gear for the NES.   
  
  
  
Ninetalesuk:   
Anything, eh? Well, you could review my other fics. You used Digimon World 3 in your Legend of the White Whamon story so I assume you've played those games.   
  
Also, review Wolf-ODonnell's Digimon EXE 3. I think it's a good AU fic where the Tamers are in a world and situation like Megaman Battle Network's. It's a shame so few people are reviewing it, especially since its prequels had more.   
  
If you need anymore information, just ask.   
  
  
  
Gijinka Renamon:   
A ninja/thief? Sounds like a good guy to have in military intelligence. I can get him in, but I'm not sure if anymore characters can get in after that. I'll have to see later on.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 18: The Cursed Soldiers of Mephistomon   
  
  
  
  
  
Somewhere in the southern parts of Kanto, morning dawned on the facade of a building. It was a clean, sterile structure, a product of high technology. Security was tight around this facility. Guards scanned for intruders from their monolithic lookout towers, and a chain-link fence ran around the perimeter. Every few seconds, a surge of electricity would produce a dangerous and clearly audible crackle.   
  
Within this building was a laboratory filled with esoteric, capsule-shaped machines. Workers in fully sealed white suits brought in the corpse of a muscular, black-haired soldier. He was retrieved directly from the battlefield and was still wearing the camouflage uniform of the Hoenn military. His flesh was lifeless blue and grey in colour, marred only by the bullet wound punctured into his chest. One of the scientists stripped his clothing, pausing only to read the name on his dog tag; "Samuel."   
  
"Where should I put this one?" asked one of the workers.   
  
"Put him into number three," replied his superior.   
  
With a hiss, capsule number three opened and the workers placed Samuel's body inside. Upon resealing the capsule, a scientist recorded the event. He walked over to a black gemstone statue that resembled a spiked gauntlet crushing the world in its hand. In a way, the gauntlet looked like it was squeezing juice out of an orange. It was located on a nearby pedestal-like machine that was connected to each of the capsules by tubes.   
  
After his inspection, the scientist started the machine and an inky liquid oozed from the globe and collected into a wide funnel below the statue's platform. The tubes turned black as the liquid flooded the interior of the capsules. A miraculous change took place behind the capsule's viewing ports. Samuel's bullet wound began to reseal itself! His body began to regenerate with his skin returning to its original healthy beige colour. After more than two hours of work, Samuel was alive once again, but in a state of dormancy.   
  
The scientists rolled his capsule into a sterile metal room for the second phase of their operation. Lining the edges of the pearl white walls were small emitters that resembled fluorescent light tubes. The tubes lit up with lavender light as they flooded the room with UV radiation. The room opened and the scientists rolled Samuel's capsule into a gathering room where other revived soldiers were waiting. It opened with a hiss and workers clothed Samuel.   
  
He joined the other soldiers in listening to a message from a distinguished military leader. "Greetings soldiers! You have been chosen to bring the glory of Kanto to the world. We will train you and provide everything you need. Report to the garage in 1530 hours. Dismissed!"   
  
Soldiers transported Samuel and the other new recruits westward to a camp and give them dorms to stay in. Three months had passed and Samuel woke up to the sound of a whistle and a screaming drill sergeant. He put on his uniform and a black ski mask before lining up with the others. They jogged southward out of the camp in a straight line. Their instructor followed behind in a jeep, barking orders at his troupe every few seconds.   
  
"Come on you maggots!" screamed the instructor. "Not even my grandma gets tired this soon!"   
  
In a cave overlooking the road, a red light blinked off. It belonged to the video camera of a concealed agent. As the day went on the Samuel and his peers moved on to the obstacle course. Hand over hand, Samuel and the other men and women used monkey bars to cross over a small mud pit. They reached a wire mesh and crawled underneath. The agent followed with his camera and recorded as each man and woman took their turn. Samuel went on to more advanced training and boarded the back of a motorcycle for his next exercise.   
  
The driver started his bike and sped towards a cluster of dummies made from used potato sacks and clothed in suits. All of them had firearms with the exception of the central dummy. As he approached, Samuel drew a concealed automatic weapon and opened fire. It was over quickly, but in that small time frame, he landed all of his shots on the dummies with the central one getting hit the most. His instructor congratulated him on a job well done.   
  
  
  
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On a TV screen in the Liberators base, the Kanto Team watched the devastation of Lilycove on the news. "Yesterday, the world was shocked by the destruction of Lilycove City by a trio of nuclear strikes. Capitalizing on these attacks, Kanto's land forces push forward into Fortree while their marine forces move in on Mossdeep City."   
  
The launch of Kanto's nuclear weapons was a huge blow to their morale. To take his mind off their failure, Tracey decided to paint a picture of his Smeargle. Smeargle assumed a pose in which he was stroking his chin thoughtfully. Casey watched each skilful stroke that Tracey made while he painted. Kenji and Yuki scanned through the Nakamura Diary to see if they had missed any clues that might lead them to the real Army Ant.   
  
Tai found the door to Kari's room ajar. She was sitting on her bed having a chat with Gatomon. "Kari, are you alright?" asked Gatomon. "Your look worried about something..."   
  
Kari sighed. "I've been thinking. The only reason why Mephistomon launched those missiles was because we kept destroying his Stones and disrupting his plans. What is he going to do once he has only one or two left?" asked Kari. "I'm afraid of what might happen. I really am."   
  
Tai knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"   
  
"Were you listening to us Tai?" asked Gatomon.   
  
"Yeah," replied Tai softly. "Everyone's so down about yesterday."   
  
"It's more than just that. We have to take some of the blame. I know Mephistomon only launched the nukes because we were ruining his plans," said Kari. "With every Stone we destroyed, we were only asking him to do even worse things to win! What is going to happen once we leave him with only one or two Stones left?"   
  
"I don't believe it would matter whether we destroyed his Stones or not," observed Tai.   
  
"How can you say that?" asked Kari accusingly.   
  
"...Because I know that if Mephistomon didn't launch the nukes at Hoenn, he would have launched them somewhere else, sooner or later. He is not going to stop at Hoenn. He's going for the entire world, and he doesn't care what he has to do to succeed!"   
  
"I know. Everything you said makes sense but..."   
  
"We can't give up, not now! We're in too far. We have to look past Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto. It's too late for Lilycove, but there are still many more people in other countries that we can still save. We have to find where the Army Ant is and destroy it before it can launch any more missiles."   
  
Kari was still unconvinced. "...But what about the mistake we made?"   
  
"We'll learn from it," promised Tai. "Just like I did when I came face to face with Skull Greymon for the very first time. Mephistomon won't fool us again. I know that the intelligence people are going to make sure that we find the real Army Ant and not a fake like we did the first time."   
  
Kari began to see the wisdom of Tai's speech. "You're right Tai, you're right."   
  
In the mess hall, Brock was cooking delicious treats for the Pokemon and the Digimon. He placed a heaping bowl of food before Agumon and Geodude. "Food!" chimed Agumon.   
  
Geodude popped a morsel into his mouth. "Geodude! (Yummy!)"   
  
Brock ran around the hall, unloading food into each dish. "Each as much as you want! There's plenty of food for everyone!"   
  
"I know you must hear this a lot, but I'll say it again. You're a great cook Brock! I never get food like this back home," commented Agumon.   
  
"Thank you, Agumon. I always keep my Pokemon healthy and well fed," replied Brock. Surge entered the mess hall. "Hey Lieutenant, looking to grab a bite?"   
  
"Eh, no thank you, I'm fine. I'm here to tell you we've just got some new information on a Stone of Doom. Get to the meeting room in half an hour." As Surge commanded, the meeting room filled up with rebels who were anxious to hear the situation. "Okay, let's begin. We've received confirmation of the location of a new Stone of Doom."   
  
Surge played a video of several soldiers training for military service. Each person had his or her identity hidden behind a black ski mask. In single file, they ran an obstacle course, crossing monkey bars, crawling under a wire mesh, and running through a set of tires. Another segment showed a pair of terrorists practicing drive-by shootings. As the motorbike passed a group of dummies, the passenger in the rear opened fire on them with a concealed gun.   
  
Surge stopped and removed the tape. "What we just saw was a video of a Kanto Nationalist training camp over at Seafoam Island. To the east of this camp is a lab these use to revive dead soldiers. Here's live feed from within the lab itself."   
  
Surged punched in commands on a remote control. The image opened with a video of a sterile lab with capsule-like pods lining the walls of the room. The screen swivelled left and right, indicating that the footage came from a wiretap on a security camera. A scientist was in the room, checking the read outs from the computers and logging them on a hand held device. A worker in a fully sealed suit rolled in a cart bearing a coffin.   
  
At this point, the worker turned his back to the camera to open a pod. He placed what appeared to be a human corpse inside before closing the pod and moving off-screen to retrieve something. The scientist logged the event on his handheld computer. Surge switched the feed, and the screen showed the worker wheeling the statue of a gauntlet. The statue was clearly a Stone of Doom from its odd, obsidian-like appearance.   
  
"They use that Stone to revive those corpses they keep hauling in. Their system is so good that it can convert enemy soldiers to fight for Kanto," warned Surge.   
  
"How will we attack this place?" asked one of the Liberators.   
  
Surge put up a map of the Seafoam compound on the screen. Surge and a team of rebels would enter the lab to retrieve the Stone of Doom while another team set up bombs to destroy the lab. The others didn't have to worry about it. All they had to worry about was the camp itself. They were urged to be careful as Surge pointed to several blips on the map. They represented gun emplacements or lookout towers that would open fire upon enemy attack. Surge went into further detail about the camp assault.   
  
This attack had two high priority targets. He moved his pointer to the first target, a fairly large shed at the centre of the camp. This was the camp's weapons cache, and destroying it would cripple the fighting power of the soldiers severely. The second major target was the communications building, a structure with a reception dish at the north end of the camp. Once this building was destroyed, the soldiers would have no way of calling in further reinforcements. After the briefing, the teams mobilised for the attack and suited up.   
  
  
  
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Back at Silph Town, two weeks had passed since the heroes had left the city to fight the war in Kanto. The town was still damaged from the attack by South Sector Digimon. However, the authorities had cleaned up much of the wreckage and tore down many of the unstable buildings. There work had made enough progress to allow a safe, straight path into the heart of the city. Though there was still more work to be done, the city had been reopened to allow people to come and go as they please.   
  
In the grassy backyard of Oak's lab, Gennai and the professor held a conversation with a third person, a Digimon. This Digimon towered over both Gennai and Oak. He was a half-man, half-jackal hybrid clad in Egyptian style robes. He had a pair of sandy hawk wings and twelve violet orbs encircling his head like moons. These orbs were Digicores, which stored a portion of the nearly infinite energies of their Sovereign. This Digimon was the Sovereign Anubismon who presided over the dead to stop the formation of any new Apocalymon.   
  
Anubismon removed one of his bracers and gave it to Oak. "Professor, please test Anubismon's bracer on your Pokemon," requested Gennai. "We want to make sure this power works on Pokemon before we hand it over to Ash and his friends."   
  
"Make haste, for the battle with Mephistomon is quickly approaching. They'll need this power to defeat the Evil One," said Anubismon.   
  
"Of course, I'll hop to it!" replied Oak. Anubismon was satisfied and vanished into a portal of darkness.   
  
Gennai took a seat in front of a table with the Stones of Ignorance and Hatred on it. He put a golden lens in front of each of them before shining the light of one of Lucemon's golden Digicores through the lenses. Upon passing through the lens, it separated the light into the different colours of the rainbow. The Stones began to hiss as though they were burning under this light. A dark miasma began to ooze out. The holy light continued to purge the Destiny Stones of Mephistomon's corruption and return them to normal.   
  
Gary, Whitney, and Ritchie took advantage of the improving situation in the city to return to Oak's lab. "Hi, grandpa!" called Gary as he came in.   
  
"Hi Gary, it's good to see you again," replied Oak who was studying the bracer under a microscope.   
  
"Gennai, you're here too?" asked Whitney. "How's the war going on in our world?"   
  
"Good so far, the Digidestined and their friends have returned two Stones of Doom back to me for purification. However, things just got worse very recently..." replied Gennai.   
  
"What happened?"   
  
"I got word that Mephistomon has just launched nuclear weapons at the Hoenn region of your world." Whitney gasped in shock.   
  
"I felt the same way," said Oak. "As a scientist, I know exactly how dangerous radioactive fallout is to the health of humans and Pokemon alike."   
  
"Your friends have succeeded in finding half of his Stones of Doom," informed Gennai. "They're going after more, but Mephistomon and his followers are certainly going to fight back even harder to keep the remaining ones safe."   
  
"Ash is out there fighting a war for all of us and we're just standing here talking about it. I say we go there and help him!" said Gary. Whitney and Ritchie agreed boisterously.   
  
"Glad to see you're so eager to help, Gary, but I think you would be better off working in the Digital World," said Gennai.   
  
"What do you mean?" asked Ritchie.   
  
"Mephistomon also has assets and strongholds here in the Digital World. Team Rocket and the Kanto Nationalists are running them while he directs the troops over in the Pokemon World."   
  
"So you want us to help you get rid of them?" asked Whitney.   
  
"Yeah, you catch on quick," replied Gennai. "War is very expensive and we can put a big wrench into his plans by depriving him of vital resources. Talk to Officer Jenny and Vajramon for more details."   
  
"Okay guys," asked Gary. "Let's go then!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Darkness blanketed the sky as night fell on Seafoam Island in southern Kanto. The stars twinkled with a cold but bright white light. The soldiers continued practicing even in the darkness of night, since a soldier's duty extended beyond daylight hours. These men wore night vision goggles during their training. It was an exercise to acclimatize the troops for combat during the twilight hours. The world was cast in various hues of green as the soldiers glance around.   
  
They spotted their last target pop up and gunned it down posthaste. The soldiers were returning home from their nightly exercises when trouble started. A missile descended onto a building from out of the sky's darkness. This building, a shed, exploded in a massive vibrant blaze. The soldiers dove for cover before spotting a cybernetic tyrannosaurus hovering overhead. The missile ignited the ordnance stored in the shed, producing several deafening secondary explosions.   
  
Due to the abruptness of the attack, the enemy camp was unable to retaliate. By the time they got their act together, Metal Greymon had already launched a second missile at a building to the north. The communications centre ruptured and the reception dish burst off the building and shattered upon impact with the ground. The soldiers opened fire on Metal Greymon, but it was a futile gesture since his magical, scaly skin protected him like armour.   
  
As Surge came upon the lab, he could he the sound of explosions and gunfire. "Right on time! Okay boys, move out!"   
  
Surge's five man team advanced on the rear of the compound. Each of them had gas masks and chemical suits on as protection. The place was heavily guarded, with electrified chain-link fences and watch towers at each corner. Most of the guards seemed somewhat preoccupied with the fighting in the distance. The sound of a high-pitched finger snap whispered through the air and the lookout slumped onto the ground dead. Surge's team melted the fence open with a laser cutter and entered the lab's garage.   
  
It was filled with humvees and jeeps painted for camouflage. The building's interior was a labyrinth of metal corridors and doors. As the squad moved forward, they encountered an enemy patrol, which they promptly gunned down with silenced weapons. They continued on their way passing the decontamination room before finding the room depicted in the security footage. The squad surrounded the three scientists inside, who raised their arms in surrender.   
  
"Please don't hurt us!" begged one of the scientists.   
  
All of a sudden, gun shots rang through the corridors of the lab! The bullets felled one of Surge's men and one of the scientists before the squad took cover behind the pods. Surge peered from behind his pod and returned fire. His target returned to safety around the corner of the decontamination room door. The guard peered out and fired, forcing Surge to take refuge behind the pod again. Surge recognized his attacker as being his old friend Watts.   
  
"Damn! Watts is here," said Surge, before turning to one of his team mates, who was tending to the wounded man. "How is he?"   
  
"Not good," replied the man. "The bullet seems to be lodged between his ribs."   
  
After several exchanges of fire, the squad managed to hit one of their attackers. "This isn't good. We're taking too much time here!" said a rebel in frustration.   
  
"We're low on ammo too!" warned another rebel.   
  
The firefight hit a brief break. Watts pulled the pin from his grenade only to get hit as he was about to throw. It slipped out of his hand and landed inside the lab area. "HIT THE DIRT!" cried Surge.   
  
The grenade exploded before anyone else could react. Only Surge was able to make it to cover. Once the smoke cleared he found that two of his men had been killed. Another had been severely injured and there was still the man felled by a gunshot. Fortunately, the injured men would live if given proper medical attention. One of the scientists had been killed, and the other two cowered behind the pods at the back of the room.   
  
For several moments, it was eerily quiet. Surge peered out from behind his cover, but no one attempted to shoot his head off. He glanced over at the Stone of Doom only to find a pile of shards instead. The cursed artefact had been destroyed after being struck by stray bullets and the shrapnel from the grenade. The terrified scientists made a run for it. This mission turned out to be costly and somewhat of a failure with his squad down and the Stone destroyed.   
  
Surge pulled out his radio. "Beta Team, this is Alpha one. My squad is down, and need extraction from the lab."   
  
"This is Beta one," replied Beta Team's leader. "We copy; we're en route to the lab."   
  
In a few minutes, five rebels entered the room. "Did you plant your bombs?"   
  
"That's affirmative," replied Beta Leader. "We only need to plant one here."   
  
"Take my men home," ordered Surge. "I'll plant the bomb."   
  
The rebels picked up the downed members of Surge's squad and carried them away. Surge pulled out a brick of grey plasticine and attached it to the resurrection machine. After arming the explosives, he walked away only to be tripped on the way out. He glanced at his assailant, who turned out to Watts, apparently still alive. Surge gave a swift kick to the man's face, breaking his grip and infuriating him even further.   
  
Watts pulled out a knife, and pinned Surge onto the ground. "So Max, how does it feel to be so close to death?"   
  
"Why?" said Surge. "Why are you doing this?"   
  
"Why? I'll tell you why. Lord Mephistomon has given me new life and new purpose. I can hear his voice. It speaks to me; guides me in my actions. You know what he's saying? He says he'll reward those who serve him handsomely. Why don't you join the winning side, Max? You can have everything you've ever dreamed of! Riches, beautiful women, power; all of these can be yours if you serve him!"   
  
Surge was aghast by what he just heard. "Don't be a tool for the devil, Greg! Nothing good can come out of this!"   
  
"You're right, old friend. Nothing good will come out of this, but only in your case. After I kill you, I'll get everything I've ever dreamed of."   
  
After a few more moments of struggling, Surge moved out of the way and jammed the knife into a nearby wall harmlessly. He smashed Watts' jaw with his fist, forcing him to roll off in pain. The two got up and went at each other mano a mano. Surge made a thrusting kick only to have Watts catch his foot and trip him. Surge dodged Watts' follow up stomp before leaping upright and tackling his foe into the decontamination room. He grabbed one of the light tubes and shattered it over Watts' head.   
  
With Watts on the ground and dazed, Surge made a run for safety. As soon as he rounded a corner, Watts recovered and gave chase. The two ran down several hallways before Surge reached an office room. He dove through the glass window and landed in the courtyard. Before he could get away, Watts pounced on him. The two exchanged several punches and kicks. Eventually, Watts got the upper hand and knocked Surge onto the ground. He pinned Surge down and began to strangle him.   
  
"This is the part where you die, 'old friend!'" taunted Watts.   
  
Surge began to asphyxiate and had only a few precious seconds to break free. Watts continued to squeeze with the look of sadistic glee and joy on his face. He was enjoying the moment far too much. After a seemingly long struggle, Surge managed to get feet onto his attacker's stomach. With a powerful kicking motion, Surge sent Watts into a section of the electrified fence. The results were deadly for Watts, who could only scream with abandon.   
  
Bolts of electricity jumped and danced along his body, crackling loudly and dangerously. Watt could only convulse rapidly and painfully. His hair stood on end and his body began to char, releasing a foul odour similar to that of smoke. It was over in an instant and Watts became deathly silent. A small flash of electricity arced from his body into the ground. Surge's heart still beat rapidly from the adrenaline brought on by being in such a life threatening situation.   
  
Once he calmed down, Surge made a solemn promise. "Mephistomon will pay for this! Rest in peace, old friend..."   
  
He regrouped with his Liberator allies and boarded speed boats to leave Seafoam Island. Surge hit the detonator and multiple explosions wracked the lab. The cursed place went up in monumental fireballs visible for miles around. The crimson glow of the flames loomed in the distance even as Seafoam sank beneath the horizon. Surge gave a final farewell salute to honour his friend's funeral pyre. 


	20. The Legacy of Alph

Gijinka Renamon:   
A good metaphor for the Destiny Stones' purpose is trying to lift a heavy object. It's easier to lift something when multiple people are helping you, right? It's the same idea with the Sovereigns. Maintaining Digital World balance puts a great burden on the Sovereigns. If they can get some of the Stones back, they don't need as much effort to ensure balance.   
  
  
  
Sylvia Viridian:   
I must say, I'm flattered that I'm an inspiration for you. I hope to see it sometime.   
  
  
  
Ninetalesuk:   
You asked me in a GT:AoA review when I would do a Frontier fic? I'm planning a Pokemon/Frontier crossover as a sequel to Stones of Doom. One of the things I have planned is introducing fan made Fusion & Unified forms for the elements that don't have them yet. I have not heard of any official ones being released, and frankly, I don't think they'll ever be released.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  
  
  
  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 19: The Legacy of Alph   
  
  
  
  
  
Back in Mahogany Town, Ash stayed at the side of Misty, who had been genetically altered by Team Rocket. "All this time, I never knew you felt this way about me... Could I have saved you if I knew sooner?"   
  
Sora and Biyomon looked on and James came to check on Ash. "Is he going to be alright?" he asked.   
  
"I don't know," replied Sora. "He feels like it's his fault that this happened."   
  
Jessie and Meowth approached. "Poor guy," said Meowth.   
  
"Why don't you talk to him?" Jessie suggested.   
  
"Me?" asked Sora.   
  
"Yes you! Who else?" asked Jessie sarcastically. "You're the Digi-whatchamacallit of Love."   
  
Sora pouted. "That's Digidestined..."   
  
"Whatever... Anyways, I'm saying that you know love better than any of us, so talk to him already! Teach him about love and all that other mushy stuff!"   
  
"Oh, alright!" Sora entered the room as Jessie made everyone else leave. "Ash, don't blame yourself for this. You weren't responsible for turning Misty into what she is now."   
  
"Am I? I was the last person to know. All this time it was in front of me and I didn't even notice; not with Melody, not with May..."   
  
"You know now, right?" asked Sora.   
  
"Yeah, but now it's too late. Look at her. She's lying in a hospital bed and might never wake up ever again. I couldn't save her."   
  
"You DID save her, Ash, more than you realize," corrected Sora.   
  
Ash was puzzled. "What do you mean? You're not making any sense!"   
  
"We saved her soul. Even after being filled with hatred, a part of her was still alive inside of Marilith. You know what that part was? It was her feelings for you. She was willing to do anything to protect you, even put her own life at risk. If we didn't do anything, I know that Misty would have been gone forever."   
  
Ash was puzzled by Sora's explanation. "How do you know all of this?"   
  
"It was when Biyomon Digivolved to Mega for the first time. My Crest of Love glowed and I experienced Misty's feelings as though I was her. It was so scary, so overwhelming, but it was so warm and tender too."   
  
"Pretty weird," said Ash.   
  
Sora nodded. "The important thing is that we saved Misty. We can always change her back some other time. Right now, we have a war to stop and a world to save!"   
  
"Yeah!" exclaimed Ash, now feeling reenergized. "You're right! Let's get the next Stone!"   
  
After returning to Goldenrod, the Johto Team, Team Rocket, and Lance met in a meeting room within a police station to discuss progress on the search for Hypocrisy. So far, the police had no luck in finding the stone, but did succeed in capturing four of the five Doppelgangers. These busts triggered many ugly scandals that news stations across the country latched onto. This was only aggravated further by a shocking event in Hoenn; the destruction of Lilycove City by nuclear weapons. The Johto team was appalled by this turn of events.   
  
The news switched to some footage of the carnage. Buildings were smashed into pieces and charred black by intense flames. The reporter stayed well away from the city itself, which had been contaminated by fallout and deemed too dangerous to enter without protective gear. He was reporting from a medical camp for those exposed to radiation. It was a miserable place and the victims' wounds brought them great suffering. One by one, paramedics would return to the camp with new survivors. Hoenn's authorities vowed retribution for this attack.   
  
The news returned to the Johto governmental scandals. "Military sources suspect that Kanto had acquired some of its nuclear technology from Johto. This scandal comes just on the heels of other scandals involving impostors infiltrating the government and the cover up of unethical genetic research."   
  
Lance shut off the TV. "We've been trying to find out where the Stone of Doom is, but so far, the prisoners haven't been cooperative."   
  
"I'm sure it is somewhere in or near this city, since we found the Doppelgangers here," said TK.   
  
"Who's going to lead Johto now that the President is a fake?" asked Meowth.   
  
"I still wonder where the real President is," admitted Jessie.   
  
"Good questions," admitted Lance. "Unfortunately, the police have no idea where they are. For all we know, the President and his aides could be dead at the hands of the Doppelgangers. The military had to place Johto under martial law until new leaders can be elected. They're not going to let this slide. This was an act of war."   
  
A few days passed. The captured Doppelgangers shuddered at the coldness of their holding cell. In fact, their cell was more of a freezer than a holding cell. A thin layer of frost lined the walls of their cell. They had been encased in ice due to the freezing cold of their cell. Their lower bodies were pinkish ooze, but from the waist up, they were no different than ordinary humans. An interrogator in heavy winter clothing entered the cell and began to question them.   
  
At first, the Doppelgangers were extremely uncooperative. In fact, they were quite hostile and sarcastic. To elicit more cooperation, the interrogator had the Doppelgangers hung upside down for extended periods of time. It was quite discomforting to be in such a position, which caused their liquid interior to rush towards their head. Eventually, they caved in and told the interrogator everything he wanted to know. The Stone of Doom was hidden in the remains of a mysterious ancient civilisation northeast of Goldenrod; the Ruins of Alph.   
  
The Johto Team immediately travelled to the ruins. Lance waited outside in his jeep while the Johto Team and Team Rocket explored the interior. The Ruins of Alph was the civilisation's main temple and its only remnants. The Alphans, the people of this civilisation, had a mysterious relationship with the Unown species of Pokemon. The clergy worshipped this species of Pokemon and received mysterious powers from them. The Johto Team pierced the darkness with their flashlights and the flames of Torchic and Cyndaquil.   
  
The temple was in fairly good shape, despite the lack of maintenance. The interior was a vast labyrinth of sandstone corridors. Despite having flashlights and Fire Pokemon, the Johto Team found it a dark and claustrophobic place. They combed deeper into the ruins until they found a vast chamber with hieroglyphs on each of its walls. At the centre was a stone altar with a square slot in it. Within this slot were sixteen tiles that created a picture once placed in the right positions.   
  
"Hey, that's one of those sliding tile puzzles!" remarked Mimi. "You slide the tiles into the right place to make some sort of picture."   
  
Mimi moved to solve the puzzle, but Joe stopped her. "Uh Mimi, I don't think it's a good idea to be fiddling with that..."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Whenever there are ancient ruins, there are usually booby traps." Mimi immediately withdrew her hand from the puzzle.   
  
Meowth glanced around as he walked along the sides of the walls. As he passed the wall in front of the puzzle altar, he felt a faint draft seemingly coming from the wall itself. At first, Meowth thought it was just his imagination. After carefully examining the wall, he noticed an outline of empty space. Following the outline, he discovered that it formed some sort of door. He tried to push it open, but had no luck doing so.   
  
"Hey guys, I found a secret door! Help me open it!" called Meowth.   
  
The team pushed and pulled the door in every direction imaginable, but it wouldn't open. "Torchic, melt the wall open with Flamethrower!" ordered May.   
  
The flames struck the wall as predicted, but instead of melting the wall, it exposed a barrier of violet light. It surrounded the wall like a protective coating. There was no way it could be a natural phenomenon. Ash suspected that this was the work of powerful Psychic energies, but found it odd that this energy manifested itself with purple light. Normally, Psychic energy manifested itself with azure light. Even with multiple Pokemon and Digimon attacking the shield, it still wouldn't collapse.   
  
"No go. We have to try something else," said May with disappointment.   
  
"This shield..." mumbled TK as he approached the wall. "I can feel the Powers of Darkness from it. Maybe we should try solving that puzzle."   
  
The Johto Team huddled around the altar and began to slide the tiles into position. After a few minutes of manoeuvring, they formed the picture of a Kabuto. Kabutos were the Pokemon World's equivalent of the horseshoe crab. The Johto Team waited for the wall to open, but a trap door opened underneath them instead! They screamed as they tumbled into the darkness below.   
  
  
  
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"Priestess, are you okay?" asked an unknown voice.   
  
Mimi groggily turned to look at the speaker. He was a tall, buffed man with bronze skin and black hair. He was clad in leather chest armour, sandals, and carried a sharp, dangerous spear in his hand. This man looked like a guard from an ancient civilisation. He had a look of concern on his face and his hand was outstretched as an offer to help her. Mimi grabbed his hand and the man lifted her onto her feet.   
  
Mimi was still groggy from the fall. "Thank you. Who are you? Where am I? Where's Palmon?"   
  
"I'm not sure what you mean by 'Palmon,' but I'm Abdul, one of the guards for your temple. We came under attack by the Betans, but drove them away. You were knocked out during the fight by an explosive device and I found you here, lying on the ground."   
  
"Hold on! I'm not a priestess!" objected Mimi.   
  
"Ah, but you are!" replied Abdul. "You came here earlier to get the tattoos to advance in rank. It was a momentous occasion, and you were quite proud of yourself."   
  
Mimi looked at her surroundings. She recognized the masonry of her room as being consistent with that of the Ruins of Alph. However, it was much cleaner than she remembered it with the sole exception of the blast hole in the wall. She gazed at herself through a mirror and was surprised by what she saw. Mimi was a in a loose fitting satin dress that covered her entire body. Though it was modest as far as clothing was concerned, she thought the dress was actually stylish.   
  
The thing she disliked the most were the strange symbols tattooed onto her body. Each symbol was black and seemed to be an abstract representation of the letters of the English alphabet. They had a mysterious, supernatural aura to their appearance. The only other thing common amongst these symbols was that each had what looked like an eye designed into it. Each of the eyes had a piercing, distant gaze about them.   
  
"Ugh! What are these things doing on my body?" complained Mimi as she tried to remove them.   
  
"I told you, they're the tattoos that symbolize your rank," replied Abdul. "You can't remove them. They're permanent."   
  
"Why couldn't they be flowers or something in pink?"   
  
"Sorry, but these tattoos have religious significance. You have to have them in order to be considered a true priestess."   
  
Mimi sighed. "I need some air..."   
  
"Sure, just don't get in the way of the soldiers. They're cleaning up after the battle."   
  
The temple itself was lined by effigies that resembled the tattoos on her body. It seemed that the Alphans placed great religious importance in these symbols, possibly to the point of revering them. She began to wonder if she was in some kind of dream, or that she had travelled back in time to the era of the Alphan Empire. Mimi walked through the hallways of the temple, noticing the bodies of the soldiers that fell in battle. As Abdul said, they were cleaning up the bodies of those who had fallen during the fighting.   
  
She soon found a familiar face among the guards; Joe. "Hey Joe!" she cried.   
  
"Mimi! Am I ever glad to see you! Do you know what's going on here? First we were falling into this hole and then I suddenly find myself as a guard of the Alphan Empire."   
  
"I don't know anything either. I just woke up and found out that I was a priestess."   
  
"Yeah, I could tell by the tattoos on your body. Jessie and James have the same thing on their bodies. James said those tattoos are of Unown, a Pokemon species."   
  
"Where are they?"   
  
"They're outside having a look around. I'll take you to them."   
  
The two Digidestined walked out and as Joe said, Jessie and James were there, looking down at the sprawling capital city of Alph in bewilderment. Like Mimi, Jessie wore the same religious vestments as Mimi did. James on the other hand, wore a white robe that was cotton rather than satin. He also had a crown-like headdress adorned with Unown effigies. The two Team Rocket members were glad to see familiar faces.   
  
"You're alright!" remarked James.   
  
"Yep, have you seen any of the others?" asked Mimi.   
  
"No," admitted Jessie. "We only found you and the glasses twerp."   
  
Joe was miffed at that comment. "I do have a name, you know. It's Joe. We should look around town and meet back at the temple if we find anyone."   
  
Alph city was a beautiful place with sandstone buildings lining the sides of the stone streets. Everywhere they looked, they saw merchants advertising their wares to the public. Mimi, Joe, Jessie, and James searched through the town, asking if the people had seen anyone matching the descriptions of their friends. They found no leads despite a few hours of searching. Mimi found only one thing of interest; the Emperor and his aides were coming to the town square to make an announcement.   
  
The town square was abuzz with activity as Alphan citizens gathered to hear the announcement. At the very centre of the square was a raised stage for the speakers to stand on. Mimi looked on as the people began paying homage to the Emperor and his court. She played along to avoid drawing suspicion until she spotted two familiar faces approaching the stage; Ash and May. Mimi didn't even recognize them at first. It wasn't until she examined them very carefully that she finally recognized them.   
  
From their appearance, Mimi concluded they were members of the royal family in this world. May was no longer wearing her Pokemon-style sports wear. Instead, she was well kempt and wore a glamorous, frilly white dress. It took her some time to become accustomed to such a change in May's appearance. Mimi had actually thought May was a totally different person. She was quite jealous that May got to be the princess and not her.   
  
It wasn't only May that had changed. Ash had been changed a lot as well. He was clothed in a regal, loose-fitting white suit. On his belt was a jewelled scimitar holstered within its sheath. He looked like a charming prince from an Arabian love story. Mimi could swear that he was going to make a grand entrance and sweep a girl off her feet. Ash was so dashing that Mimi became enamoured with him.   
  
The Emperor himself was a man with a great air of authority and a stern expression. He was a muscular man with a light skin tone and black hair. He wore a suit similar to that of Ash's, but it had a pattern similar to the Unown tattoos on Mimi's body. His golden crown and black sceptre were adorned by an Unown effigies made of a diamond and onyx. He raised his sceptre into the air and the crowd fell silent.   
  
A second man stood forward to make his speech. He was a thin man with black hair and a pleasant demeanour. Like Mimi, he too had Unown tattoos on his body, which indicated that he was a religious man. He wore priestly robes and a headdress similar to ones James wore, only more ornate. He carried a staff with ornaments designed with the likeness of the Unown.   
  
The MC called the High Priest to make his speech. "We, the people of Alph, have prided ourselves on following the word of the gods. Today, our pride as a people was treacherously attacked by the Betans. They have desecrated our holy temple and murdered our people right before our very eyes! We will not tolerate this! The Emperor has declared war on the Betans as retribution for this wrong."   
  
Mimi managed to catch the attention of Ash and May, who waved back in response. Jessie, James, and Joe found Mimi. "Hey, I found Ash and May!" Mimi pointed to them at the stage and the two waved back at them. After the Emperor's speech, the two groups met at the rear of the stage. "Am I glad to see you guys!" exclaimed Ash. "I woke up and found out I was a prince of the Alphan Empire and May was a princess. Where are the others? Is Pikachu alright?"   
  
"Slow down, Ash!" demanded Joe. "We're just as clueless as you are. All I know is that we were in the ruins, fell down a hole, and then became people in this weird world. We haven't been able to find Sora, TK, or any of our partners yet."   
  
"Maybe we're the only ones here," suggested May.   
  
"There's no doubt about it. This is the Alphan civilisation," noted James. "I recognize the architecture from history books I read as a little boy. Mimi, Jessie, and I are part of the church because of these tattoos on our bodies." James pulled down his sleeve to reveal the Unown tattoos that marked his arm.   
  
"I'm some sort of soldier or guard," said Joe.   
  
"The Stone of Doom must have trapped us in some sort of dream, or alternate dimension of some kind," said Ash.   
  
"Tell me more about Alph, James," asked Joe.   
  
"Well, from what I remember, the latest records described everything we saw today; the attack on the temple, and the war against the Betans that came after. After that, there were no more records. It's like the people of Alph just vanished without a trace."   
  
Jessie was unnerved. "Vanished without a trace?" James simply nodded.   
  
"Now, I'm really scared..." admitted May.   
  
"No need to be scared. We'll just find a way out before it happens!" proclaimed Ash.   
  
For a month, Mimi and her friends looked for ways to free themselves from this illusionary prison. However, they could not find any way of escaping. The war between the Alphans and Betans raged on and many Alphan soldiers returned home wounded. As members of the clergy, Mimi, Jessie, and James were supposed to give medical attention to the soldiers. To do this, they used the Psychic powers of the Unown species of Pokemon.   
  
Mimi walked around the isles of an infirmary set up in the temple. All along the wall were cots filled with injured men and women. All had bandages wrapped around their bleeding wounds. Some were worse off, having been maimed or having a limb severed during battle. Mimi channelled the Unowns' power, causing her eyes and the eyes of her Unown tattoos to glow with azure light. Her patient's wounds resealed themselves at an astonishing rate.   
  
The now healthy soldier was grateful. "Thank you priestess!"   
  
"No problem!" replied Mimi.   
  
Another month passed by before the Emperor declared victory over the Betans. They pillaged the Betan capital before burning it into ash. The Alphans captured the Betans that had survived the war and brought them back to work as slaves. This victory sounded the alarm for Mimi and the others. The end of the Alphan Empire was quickly approaching and time was growing short. This triggered a prompt meeting among the Johto Team in the market place.   
  
"We're running out of time!" warned Joe. "We have to find a way to get out of here!"   
  
"Don't you think we know that already?" asked Jessie sarcastically.   
  
Suddenly, a flash of light came from the direction of the temple! "Over there!" cried May.   
  
A massive wave of pure Psychic energy raced along the ground. Its deafening roar was like that of a tidal wave about to overtake a hapless coastal city. In its wake was a trail of destruction unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Everything the wave touched was obliterated, leaving nothing behind but barren earth. The team fled in terror, but even they could not escape their inevitable destruction. Once the wave finally subsided, all that was left was the temple. The civilisation of Alph was no more.   
  
  
  
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Mimi opened her eyes and found herself standing just outside of the temple with Jessie, James, and Joe. Everyone was wondering what just happened. "Where are we?" asked Joe.   
  
"Is it just me, or is this the place we first found each other?" asked James.   
  
"Yeah, I remember standing here and talking with you guys!" noted Mimi.   
  
Indeed, Mimi could not be more accurate. Joe was standing near Mimi, having just escorted her to Jessie and James. Jessie and James were standing at the edge of a hill overlooking the Alph capital. From their location, they had a panoramic view of the sprawling city. This sense of deja vu elicited a sense of revelation and surprise.   
  
"You're right..." mumbled Jessie.   
  
"Well, now I know why the Alphans disappeared, but this was not the way I had in mind," commented James.   
  
"The last thing I remember is that energy wall swallowing me, and now I'm here," said Mimi. "How can we still be alive?"   
  
The group decided to find Ash and May before doing anything else. The High Priest held his speech for a second time. He denounced the Betan attack as act of treachery and praised his people's accomplishments. Again, Ash and May were on the stage, and rejoined the group afterwards. They too thought this was unusual and wondered what happened. Joe raised an important point; that the group had been sent back in time by the Psychic wave.   
  
"How is possible for us to get sent back in time?" asked Ash.   
  
"From what I read, Unown were known to have powers over time and space," lectured James. "It wouldn't be too difficult for them to send us back in time."   
  
"Yeah, but why us, and why weren't we brought back to when we first came to this place?" asked Ash. This stumped the whole group.   
  
"What about that wave?" asked May. "Before we got zapped, I saw the wave coming from the temple."   
  
The group was still stumped, but before they did anything, they made two agreements. The first was to meet up outside of the temple if they ever got separated. The second was to find out what had caused that mysterious wave. It seemed that the temple was at the centre of this. Two months passed and the Alphans had predictably won the war. This time, the group met outside of the temple to find out what was happening there before the wave hit.   
  
The courtyard of the temple was abuzz with activity. Slaves were hauling a massive but unusual gemstone up the stairs to the top of the temple. This stone had a somewhat disc-like shape and an orange lustre about it. Around its circumference were sharp protrusions that made the gemstone look like the sun. Ash recognized it as a Sun Stone, but one that was much larger than the one he had won at a Bug Catching contest in the Johto National Park.   
  
"When Alph won the war, I heard they had taken a giant Sun Stone from the Betan temple," informed May. "...But why is it being brought to the temple?"   
  
"That's what I intend to find out!" exclaimed Ash, as he ran to question the slaves at the base of the temple. The slaves immediately bowed in reverence upon becoming aware of the presence of their prince. "Can any of you tell me what's going on?"   
  
"We're moving the Sun Stone to the top of the temple, your Highness. The High Priest needs it for a special ceremony he's about to perform," replied the slave. Content with the answer, Ash relayed the news to the group.   
  
May realized something terrifying. "What if that ceremony was what destroyed Alph? That wave came from the temple, remember?"   
  
"Why would the ceremony be of any harm to the city?" asked James. "Unless..."   
  
"Unless what?" asked Jessie.   
  
"Well, you know that we as priests channel Psychic power from the temple, and that the temple acts as an amplifier for the Unown's power, right?" asked James.   
  
"Yeah, so what's the big deal?"   
  
"I was thinking, what if they were using the Sun Stone as some sort of second amplifier? If that was true, what if they lost control of all that power?"   
  
The Johto Team now realized that the wave was a result of this accident. "We have to stop the ceremony!" declared Ash.   
  
The group ran up to the top of the temple as fast as they could. They could hear light chanting in an archaic language from above as the ceremony began. A priest and a priestess raised the Sun Stone aloft with a pulley system to face it towards the light of the sun. The High Priest continued chanting to the Sun Stone and his prostrate priests and priestesses echoed his words. They waved their arms up and down in reverence to the Sun Stone. At the halfway point, a pair of guards barred their way.   
  
"Get out of my way!" screamed Jessie. Her eyes and tattoos glowed with azure light as she telekinetically shoved the guards into a pile.   
  
The group continued to run up the stairs of the temple. A second pair of guards barred their way just steps away from the top. James took the honour of removing them by using Psychic powers to fling them into away. Several guards came from the rear, but Mimi cut them off by placing a Psychic barrier in the guards' path. Ash, May, and Joe ran the last leg of the stairs but it was too late...   
  
The High Priest had finished his ceremony and the results were disastrous. A wave of Psychic energy burst from the Sun Stone, swallowing everyone near it whole. It rumbled as it spread out and devoured anything and anyone hapless enough to be in its path. The wave left nothing but barren earth in its wake. All traces of the Alphan civilisation were wiped out, leaving only the temple behind, the origin of Alph's destruction.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
"Priestess?" asked an unknown voice.   
  
"Huh?" asked Mimi blankly. Mimi gathered her bearings and found herself in an infirmary in the temple. The speaker turned out to be her patient; a soldier she had healed.   
  
"You kind of blacked out there... I said I'm okay now. Thank you priestess," said the soldier.   
  
"Oh sure, anytime," replied Mimi.   
  
Mimi took a break from her medical duties to get some air outside of the temple. "Hey!" cried Jessie, as she gestured to Mimi.   
  
After several minutes the group reunited for an important meeting. "Okay, we now know that the ceremony is what caused that wave," began Joe. "Every time we restart the loop, we get closer and closer to doomsday! We need a plan and we'd better get it right or else we'll be trapped like this forever!"   
  
"Those stupid guards keep getting in my way!" complained Jessie in anger.   
  
"What we need is for someone to destroy the Sun Stone. If only we had someone on the inside who could do it for us," noted May.   
  
Jessie got a sneaky idea, one that was befitting of her role as a Team Rocket agent. Jessie proposed it as the group huddled up to hear it. The war raged on once again, and many Alphans and Betans died as a result. As usual, the Alphans won the war and plundered the home city of the Betans before burning it. The Alphans took the Sun Stone from the Betan temple and brought it back to their temple. This time, the team executed Jessie's sneaky plan.   
  
At the top of the temple, a priest and priestess raised the Sun Stone into the light of the radiant sun. Only this time, Jessie had stepped in as a replacement for the original priestess. Jessie had arranged for her predecessor to be "tied up" with other duties. The High Priest began chanting to the Sun Stone in an archaic language. His prostrate priests and priestess echoed his words as they waved their arms up and down reverently. Jessie could hear the sounds of a commotion coming her way.   
  
This was her cue to sabotage the ceremony. She channelled her Psychic powers and flung the priest that helped support the Sun Stone into the High Priest. The High Priest stumbled off the top of the temple into a pair of hapless guards who came to investigate. Jessie telekinetically lifted the still dazed priest once again and slammed him into the panicked priests and priestesses. The others entered the scene once Jessie cleared the area.   
  
"Destroy the Sun Stone while we hold them off!" cried Ash.   
  
The High Priest recovered from that sneak attack and was furious. "I'll get you for that you little brats!" His body changed into pink ooze before coalescing into a Dragonite.   
  
"Doppelganger!" cried Ash.   
  
The Doppelganger took to the air and the group prepared to fight it. It was going to be tough since they didn't have their monster partners for assistance. Golden energy gathered in the Doppelganger's maw and streamed outwards as a powerful beam. The beam collided harmlessly with a Psychic barrier that Mimi and James erected in defence. The Doppelganger moved closer and swiped at Joe, but he protected himself with his shield.   
  
Ash and May flanked the beast and slashed it with their scimitars to no avail. The Doppelganger had scales that were as hard as steel. His tail suddenly lunged into the two and put them flat on their backs. He sent a flurry of swipes at Joe who was forced to hide behind the safety of his shield. The Doppelganger's head lurched back as a pair of concussive Psychic blasts smashed him in the face.   
  
"Annoying little pricks!" cursed the Doppelganger, who fired a second Hyper Beam.   
  
Again, Mimi and James erected a barrier in defence, and the beam grinded against it harmlessly. However, the Doppelganger sustained the attack, forcing the two to channel more power to maintain their defence. In the corner of his eye, the Doppelganger noticed the Sun Stone being dangled dangerously above the sloped side of the temple. He immediately aborted his attack and transformed into an Alakazam.   
  
The Doppelganger wasted no time in using his newly acquired Psychic powers to hold back the Sun Stone. Jessie increased her power to combat the Doppelganger, who did the same in an effort to counter her. It became clear that she was no match for a Psychic Pokemon as powerful as an Alakazam. The Sun Stone returned to the temple's roof gradually. Mimi and James launched telekinetic attacks against the Doppelganger to force it to divert its attention onto them.   
  
The Doppelganger redirected enough energy in time to create a momentary barrier to defend himself. James and Mimi kept the pressure on, pummelling the Doppelganger's barrier with repeated telekinetic blasts. Eventually, they won out as the barrier collapsed and the Doppelganger was smacked into the ground. Jessie telekinetically drove the Sun Stone hard into the temple's side.   
  
The Doppelganger's face filled with horror. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"   
  
The Sun Stone bounced down the temple's side like a rolling tumbleweed and pieces of it broke off with each impact. As the Sun Stone cracked and shattered, the Doppelganger's face began to melt. Pink ooze gushed out of the tears forming in his body like blood from a ruptured artery. Wisps of mist billowed out his decaying body as he struggled futilely against his end. The Doppelganger plopped into a heap on the ground as it finished melting into a puddle of pink liquid.   
  
The world of ancient Alph shattered around the group, who was dropped into an unknown chamber within the Ruins of Alph. In front of them were several Pokemon that resembled the tattoos Mimi, and Team Rocket used to have. They were the Unown species of Pokemon. The Unown were floating around the air to form a spherical pattern. On the ground were shards of what looked like obsidian or onyx. After a brief moment, they crumbled into data and vanished.   
  
"Hey! There you are!" cried Gomamon as caught Joe in a big hug. "Everyone they're okay!"   
  
The others ran into the chamber. "We were worried sick about you guys!" said Sora.   
  
"What happened here?" asked Ash.   
  
"After we fell in the hole, you guys went missing!" said Meowth. "What happened to you?"   
  
"It's a long story..." replied Joe.   
  
"Un... nown... un... nown..." chanted the Unown. A Psychic buzz filled the minds of the Johto Team. "Thank you, humans. We are the Unown. We were corrupted by the evil influence of a cursed artefact, a Stone of Doom. By using its own power against it, you destroyed the artefact's illusionary counterpart, the Sun Stone, and freed yourselves from its prison. In doing so, you have also freed us from its corrupting influence. Listen as we tell you the tale of Alph's doom."   
  
An image of the Alphan Empire at its peak appeared in the space between the Unown. Several people were prostrate in worship before the Unown. "Long ago, the people of Alph worshipped us as gods. As a result of their worship, they harnessed our Psychic powers and used them to create a peaceful society."   
  
A new image formed of the High Priest. "Peace and prosperity lasted for many centuries, but everything has its end. Though the clergy was meant to help the Alphan people and promote a virtuous way of life, the last High Priest developed an unquenchable lust for power. He discovered that the Betans owned an artefact of great power known as the Sun Stone."   
  
An image of the Betans attacking the temple appeared. "He hoped to use it to amplify our power and increase his own. He knew he couldn't take the Sun Stone as long as the Betans were able to protect it. He disguised several slaves with Betan armour and ordered them to attack his own temple."   
  
The image transformed into the Alphan Empire's doomsday. "He went before his people and deceived them into war with the Betans, all for the sake of his power lust. The Alphans won the war and the High Priest claimed his ill-gotten spoils. Just as the High Priest was about to reap the rewards of his lies and hypocrisy, fate delivered poetic justice onto him."   
  
"He used the Sun Stone to amplify our powers further, to the point where he couldn't maintain control. This release of power killed the High Priest, but also annihilated the Alphan people, leaving only this temple as a reminder that they ever existed. Thank you, humans, for freeing us from the Stone of Doom. We know you seek to destroy the others of its kind. We shall transport you out of our temple so you may continue your quest. You are our world's only hope! Farewell..."   
  
The Johto Team glowed with the azure light of the Unowns' Psychic powers and suddenly found themselves in front of Lance's jeep. He nearly fell out of his seat from surprise. "Whoa! Where did you guys come from?"   
  
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you..." replied Mimi. 


	21. Weapons of Mass Destruction, part 2

  
  
Ninetalesuk:   
I might use them in the sequel, but I'd need to know their Pokemon teams first. Can you give them to me?   
  
All the names of my new Unifieds follow those of the Ancients. For example, Unified Hybrid Emperor/Kaiser Greymon and Ancient Greymon are both Greymon. So if the Wind Ancient is Ancient Irismon, then the Unified would be (something) Irismon.   
  
The big problem with Unified Hybrids is that you need to take Spirits from other people to make them. You know, the "cheerleader problem." I may or may not get all of them in. The Fusions don't have these problems, so I can think I can get all of them in.   
  


  
  
wintersun:   
May's ten like Ash. Yeah, Pokemon characters don't really age at all.   
  


  
  
Gijinka Renamon:   
Nah, I won't be using the purple Renamon.   
  


  
  
Neosister3000:   
You should watch Digimon some time.   
  


  
  
Sylvia Viridian:   
I was thinking something along the lines of the Moonlight Knight from Sailor Moon for "Prince Ash."   
  


  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  


  
  
****

  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  


  
  
Chapter 20: Weapons of Mass Destruction, part 2   
  


  
  
Back in the Digital World, Gary, Whitney, and Ritchie had learned of a Team Rocket base hidden in the deserts of Server Continent. The three trainers watched photos of the compound slide by in the briefing by Vajramon and Jenny. The Rocket compound was surrounded by chain-link fences and guard towers on every corner. The compound itself was a sleek grey metallic structure with a black roof. On each side was Team Rocket's emblem; the crimson "R."   
  
Gary noted arch-like machines in photos of the rear courtyard. These arches were strung together and had bullet-shaped metal pods pointed at their centre. Gary immediately recognized this set up. It was the same dimensional gate technology that Silph pioneered and used to bring people to the Digital World. Apparently, Team Rocket had somehow acquired this technology and was using it for their corrupt agenda.   
  
Jenny suggested that the Rockets might have acquired this technology from a leak in Silph. Despite the lingering questions, the important thing was to shut the place down. That goal inevitably required the use of force. Unfortunately, Mephistomon's ascension to power had triggered a Dark Area revolt by evil Digimon. Most of the Sovereigns' forces were committed to suppressing the rebellion. They could only provide a minimal of troops for support.   
  
Silph Town was largely alone in its attack on the Rocket base. In order to fill in some of the gaps, they recruited trainers from Silph Town like Ritchie, Whitney, and Gary. After hearing the plan, it was time for action. The trainers were supplied with protective gear such as body armour and helmets. The trainers were flown into Server by helicopters and watched as several Digimon swooshed past them.   
  
"Dragons?" asked Gary.   
  
"They must be our Digimon allies," suggested Whitney. "Vajramon said that some Digimon were going on ahead to soften up the Rocket base."   
  
The Digimon were grey-skinned, dragon-like creatures with humanoid torsos and serpentine tails. They were cybernetically enhanced beings with heads covered in metal helmets, and three-pronged claws on their metal forearms. Their wings were blocky and artificial, having feathers made of metal. There weren't many cybernetic Pokemon, so Gary thought these cybernetic Digimon, Gigadramon, were pretty cool. They looked very strong, which meant big trouble for Team Rocket. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Gigadramon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Darkside Attack, Gigabyte Wing   
  
Gigadramon is the more powerful version of his cousin species, the Megadramon. Their specialty is heavy aerial bombardment using their special ability, the Darkside Attack.   
_**

  
The Gigadramon sped towards Team Rocket's base and upon reaching its airspace, their fun began. The wailing of an air raid siren filled the air. The Gigadramon began to rain missiles down on and around the Team Rocket base. Within seconds, the Gigadramon had levelled the watch towers on the eastern side of the base. The building shuddered with each explosion of the missiles. Several grunts fled the building in panic, while others released Pokemon to repel the Gigadramon.   
  
One of these grunts unleashed a Venusaur. "Venusaur, Solar Beam!"   
  
The Venusaur grunted in affirmation and his flower petals glowed white as they filled with the power of the sun. Once full, the Venusaur released his energy as a powerful white beam. It clipped one of the Gigadramon in the chest, causing him to lose altitude. Upon recuperating, the Gigadramon shot an angry glare at his attacker. He flew into position and launched a salvo of missiles. In several massive explosions, the missiles felled both Venusaur and the grunt. 

  
  
**************************************** 

  
  
The destruction of Lilycove City by Kanto's nuclear weapons had enraged the Hoenn government. They ordered a punitive counter strike against Kanto. Somewhere in Hoenn, the metal hatch of an underground missile silo opened. The mission control counted down from five, and upon reaching zero, the missile shot into the air like a rocket. It swooshed over the sea on its way to Saffron, Kanto's capital city.   
  
The missile reached the halfway point and the skies darkened supernaturally. Bolts of lightning flashed in the air, almost resembling electrical pillars that supported the clouds. Upon entering the air space under the cloud, the missile attracted lightning to its location like a magnet. The bolts continued to lash out at the missile. They missed at first but progressively became more and more accurate. Eventually, lightning struck the missile and triggered a massive, blinding explosion in the sky that could be seen from miles away.   
  
Among these witnesses was a pair of Liberator spies. They had made a clandestine rendezvous in the seedy back alleys of a Kanto city. The first was a man in a long beige trench coat. He made sure that his hat kept his face concealed as much as possible. This man carried an envelope under his arm and a toolbox. The second man was in a black trench coat like the first. Though he kept his face hidden, portions of his black hair were still visible to a keen eye. The first man held out his envelope upon identifying his contact.   
  
"So Kage, here are your orders," said the first man. "As you just saw, the war's going nuclear. It's vital that you succeed in your mission."   
  
"Of course," replied the agent named Kage, as he took the envelope and the toolbox from his contact.   
  
Kage returned to his hotel room and opened the envelope. Inside, he found a picture of what looked like a nuclear power plant taken from the sky. He pulled out a letter detailing his mission and proceeded to read it. The power plant supplied the fissile material necessary for Kanto's nuclear weapons. The plant had a division for constructing warheads and servicing the Army Ant. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the Army Ant came for maintenance.   
  
This power plant was located in the south-eastern parts of Kanto. Kage's mission was to infiltrate this plant as a worker and accomplish two tasks. The first was to bug the Army Ant so that it could be tracked. Planting a bomb would be much quicker, but there was no way to sneak an adequately powerful bomb inside without being detected. Kage would certainly be caught if he tried.   
  
As a rule, the Army Ant did not stay in any single place for too long, so Kage had to act fast. Kage opened the toolbox and found the bugs in a resealable plastic bag hidden at the bottom of the toolbox. His second goal was to introduce a special biological agent to the reactor's uranium fuel. This agent was a bioremediation agent meant for cleaning radioactive waste. After releasing the agent, there would be no danger of a melt down.   
  
The bacteria would consume the uranium and shut down the plant. Kage would then signal the Liberators to assault the plant and destroy it. Kage looked in his toolbox and found the agent stored in blowtorch fuel canisters. Each had marks on the bottom to distinguish them from regular blowtorch fuel canisters. After looking over the rest of his possessions, Kage packed his belongings and began his mission. A few days later, Kage pulled up to a check point in his car.   
  
The whole area was under tight security, with armed guards patrolling the compound vigilantly. A solid concrete wall ran around the perimeter which had coiled barbed wire on top. One of the check point's guards demanded identification. That guard examined Kage's papers, while another searched Kage, his car, and his toolbox for anything illegal. Everything checked out, and the guards allowed him through. Kage quickly established his cover as a worker, and it wasn't long before the Army Ant returned to the plant for maintenance.   
  
The Army Ant was a massive machine. True to its name, it was an artificial ant made of silver Chrome Digizoid. Folded onto its back was the pair of rails that served as its missile launcher. Beneath this main weapon was a rotating Gatling gun that could fire in any direction. A worker opened a hatch on the Army Ant's abdomen which exposed the feed for the missile loading mechanism. An overhead crane began to transfer nuclear missiles. Kage watched a worker removed the Gatling gun with a crane. A second worker checked the power source below.   
  
The Army Ant's power came from a small statue made of what appeared to be onyx. It represented two soldiers glaring at each other from opposite sides of a gorge, ready to kill each other. Kage entered the pilot's cabin through the hatch on the top of the head. He attached a bug onto the pilot's headphones, making sure that they were undetectable. He opened a panel underneath searched around inside. After bugging the computer, he resealed the panel so no one would know and left the cockpit.   
  
Kage disappeared into a private location. "This is Kage calling the doctor. The plague has moved eastward," he whispered into a miniature radio. 

  
  
**************************************** 

  
  
The signal travelled to a group of campers hidden in a forest to the northwest. They tuned a machine with a reception dish towards the power plant. The listened for Kage's message through headphones until his garbled voice could be heard. After some minor adjustments, they could hear his voice clearly. They in turn, relayed the message back to their Liberator allies in Vermillion City. At the other end, Izzy and the Liberator communication officers listened and were delighted.   
  
"I repeat, this is Kage calling the doctor. The plague has moved eastward," said Agent Kage.   
  
"Prodigious!" exclaimed Izzy. The rest of the Liberator officers celebrated the news.   
  
Surge walked in. "Why's everyone so happy?"   
  
"We've found the Army Ant!"   
  
Surge looked at the screen and noted a blip to the southeast of Kanto. "Yeah!"   
  
The Liberators continued to analyze the information from the tapped Army Ant. Recently, Johto had sided with Kanto's enemies, resulting in a declaration of war on Kanto. In response, Kanto threatened to launch retaliatory nuclear strikes should anyone attack Kanto. As Hoenn's failed retaliation showed, Kanto also had some sort of anti-missile defence system involving lightning. Since an invasion risked nuclear reprisal, no one dared to attack Kanto.   
  
The pilots of the Army Ant had received orders to move westward into the middle of the wilderness. This was to prepare for when Kanto would need to make a nuclear counter attack. The Army Ant was most vulnerable during this transition. It was up to the Liberators to permanently remove the obstacle presented by the Army Ant and the power plant. After forming an attack plan, the Liberators held a meeting to brief everyone on the plan.   
  
"Okay everybody, we've got good news and bad news," began Surge. "The good news is that we've found the Army Ant. The bad news is that it's moving to set up for an attack on Johto."   
  
"Why Johto?" asked Yuki.   
  
"Johto had just joined the Hoenn Alliance. It gave them the perfect way to get into Kanto, which is weak on its west border. Mephistomon knows this and has threatened nuclear attacks should anyone try to invade."   
  
"That's where we come in," continued Electra. "While one of our groups takes out the power plant, we'll eliminate the Army Ant. With it out of the way, there's no danger to Johto."   
  
Surge showed a map of the terrain in the Army Ant's path. "Our intelligence says that the Army Ant's convoy is going to pass through a narrow gorge of its way west. We're going to wait there and ambush it as it passes through. This mission is more dangerous than the others because the Army Ant carries nuclear explosives inside. One wrong move and its goodbye for all of us..."   
  
Electra brought the Army Ant's schematics from the Nakamura Diary. "Like last time, we must be careful of damaging the Army Ant's abdomen. Aim for the legs or the head."   
  
After finishing the briefing, the Liberators filed into the medic's office to receive shots as protection against radiation poisoning. "Ow!" said Agumon as the medic gave him his needle.   
  
"I hate needles!" complained Casey. She winced as the medic gave her a shot   
  
"No one likes getting needles, but you've gotta have this injection. Radiation is very dangerous, especially to children," said Electra.   
  
After inoculating each person and monster, the Liberators geared up for the fight with the Army Ant. It was night and the sky filled with countless twinkling stars. The rebels reached the gorge and prepared their ambush for the Army Ant. The gorge consisted of a narrow path with rocky cliffs on both sides. These cliffs had stones which the rebels could use for cover. The rebels hid behind the stones and waited for their prey.   
  
Surge received a call on his radio from a lookout by the entrance of the gorge. "Okay, I understand." Surge turned to the rest of the Liberators. "Okay, the Army Ant is coming this way. When I give the signal, take out the convoy"   
  
As expected, the Army Ant's convoy marched into the gorge, with an Orc leading the way. It was the same mutated creature the Kanto Team had fought after being duped by the fake Army Ant. Following the Orc was the Army Ant and several Medusas and humvees. Trailing the convoy were two creatures that resembled the reanimated skeletal remains of Alakazams. These ghostly, legless creatures hovered their way into the gorge.   
  
In the bony right hand of each of these undead Alakazams was a femur they held like a wand. They had mummified skulls with an effigy of Mephistomon's demonic face etched on their foreheads. They wore tattered black robes that fluttered in the air as they moved. Emanating from their eyes and their femurs was the glow of the tainted Psychic energy that animated their bodies. Izzy dubbed them the Alakazam Liches after their wizard-like appearance.   
  
The Liberators was in disbelief over Kanto's new mutant war beasts. "Okay, get ready," said Surge. The convoy's centre entered Surge's sight. "Now!"   
  
At once, chaos descended onto the gorge as a rocket wiped out one of the humvees. The vehicle exploded, leaving nothing behind but flaming wreckage. The tires of the trailing humvee screeched as the driver and slammed on the brakes. Now aware of the attack, the trailing humvee attempted to turn around and manoeuvre into a better firing position. War Greymon's Terra Force Beam nailed the Orc in the back and drove him face first into the ground. The Army Ant's Gatling gun swivelled around and rained bullets on Surge's position.   
  
"We're pinned down!" cried Surge from behind his boulder. The bullets pattered endlessly against the stone surface.   
  
"Metal Garurumon, get the Army Ant off us!" called Matt.   
  
Metal Garurumon complied by launching a massive salvo of missiles at the Army Ant. The missiles struck its head and legs, encasing them behind a layer of ice. The Army Ant's gun swivelled to Metal Garurumon and opened fire. It tracked each of his movements until it finally caught up and shot him out of the air. Metal Garurumon crashed onto the cliff to Matt's concern.   
  
"Arrrgggh!" groaned Metal Garurumon. "Those aren't normal bullets..."   
  
Indeed, Metal Garurumon was right. Normally, regular bullets would be useless against a Mega level Digimon like Metal Garurumon. Matt looked around and found some of the Army Ant's expended bullets strewn on the cliff. Unlike normal bullets, these ones were made of a dark, amethyst-like gemstone. These bullets gave Matt an unpleasant, ominous feeling as he gazed upon them.   
  
"Izzy!" called Matt. "Can you tell me anything about this bullet?"   
  
Matt tossed the bullet in front of Izzy. The Gatling gun turned and sprayed the space between them with bullets. "This looks like dark energy that has been crystallized," informed Izzy. "No wonder it hurt Metal Garurumon so much..."   
  
Matt's suspicions were confirmed. "Everybody, watch out for the Army Ant! It's not firing bullets; it's firing dark energy!"   
  
Towards the entrance of the gorge, the other members of the Kanto Team were having difficulties with the Alakazam Liches. Angewomon got off to a good start by nailing one of the Liches in the head with Celestial Arrow. This bolt of positive energy was an anathema to the undead Alakazam and stunned him momentarily. Yuki's Vaporeon, a blue, dog-like marine creature, capitalized on this moment of weakness and sent the Lich into the rocks with a Hydro Pump.   
  
"Yeah!" exclaimed Yuki.   
  
The Lich glowed with a crimson aura as it employed the Recover technique to heal itself. As retaliation, the Lich fired a Shadow Ball which flattened Vaporeon. For Angewomon, the Lich employed the "Bonemerang" technique. He threw his bone and it returned to his hand after scoring a direct hit on her ribs. Angewomon crashed onto the ground hard. The Lich was satisfied with himself until Tracey's Smeargle stepped forward to confront him.   
  
"Smeargle, use Thunderbolt!" commanded Tracey.   
  
The Painter Pokemon hurled a blast of powerful lightning at the Lich. In response, the undead Alakazam simply raised a Light Screen as protection. Ever the opportunist, Tracey had his Smeargle use the Sketch ability to paint a crude copy of the plastic barrier. As a result, Smeargle learned how to use Light Screen as well. He would soon get the perfect opportunity to test his new move out.   
  
The Lich glowed with tainted crimson light as he projected a Psychic attack. Smeargle immediately raised a Light Screen which abated the wave of energy. Smeargle immediately sketched the Psychic attack and added it to his already vast repertoire of abilities. The Lich fired a Shadow Ball which forced Smeargle to dodge. As a follow up, the Lich caught the Painter Pokemon in a Confusion attack. After a few moments of suspending Smeargle in the air, the Lich slammed him into the ground.   
  
"No! Smeargle!" cried Tracey.   
  
The battle was not going too well for Casey and Izzy either. Bayleef and Mega Kabuterimon fought the Medusas and soldiers with the help of Liberator rebels. It was a frustrating fight because each Ekans on a Medusa could act independently of the body. The Ekans heads fired Ice Beams, Bubblebeams, Thunderbolts, and Psybeams all in quick succession. This barrage of attack blew Mega Kabuterimon out of the sky and reduced him to his Tentomon form. This same barrage sent Bayleef into a stone wall with enough force to create an indentation.   
  
"Bayleef!" cried Casey.   
  
"Casey, get down!" warned Izzy.   
  
One of the Medusa's snake heads turned to them and fired a powerful Hyper Beam. The explosion shattered the cliff, causing Izzy and Casey to tumble to the ground below. The ordeal left Izzy with a broken left arm and Casey unconscious. The Medusa moved in and wrapped a tentacle around Izzy's neck and a second around Casey's torso. It proceeded to toss Casey around like a cat playing with its meal, while it strangled Izzy.   
  
"Arggggggggh!" gargled Izzy as he tried to call for help.   
  
It seemed like the end was near for Izzy and Casey until a blast of ice froze the Medusa solid. Their saviour slashed through the frozen abomination, shattering it to a countless number of shards. Their saviour revealed himself to be Metal Garurumon. On his back was a Machoke, the previous form of Machamp. One by one, the Machoke and Metal Garurumon pulled everyone out of harm's way under the cover of the Liberators.   
  
Metal Garurumon unloaded each person and monster at a makeshift hospice away from the gorge. "Owww, my arm!" moaned Izzy.   
  
"Careful, you don't want to aggravate the injury!" warned the medic. The medical staff quickly proceeded to treat Izzy, Casey, and their monsters.   
  
Machoke and Metal Garurumon returned to their partners. "Good work, Machoke," said Kenji.   
  
All the while, bullets continued to pelt the boulder. Surge was pinned down behind the safety of the stone. "We're getting nowhere fast!"   
  
"We need some way to shut down the Army Ant," said Matt. "Does it have a weakness of some sort?"   
  
A second volley of bullets interrupted their conversation. "Not that I know of," replied Kenji. "Unless..."   
  
"Unless what?"   
  
"Unless we someone can remove its Stone of Doom. It's the only thing that powers it. Once that's done, the Army Ant will go dead. The problem is how do we get close enough to open it? Even if we do get close enough, the Stone is below the gun and behind hard metal. We'd need someone who is strong enough to punch it open."   
  
Brock got an idea. "I have a Machamp and he's a very strong Pokemon."   
  
"...And I have a Machoke who can help out too," added Kenji. "I think that should be enough. All we need now is a distraction."   
  
"Let me take care of that," offered Metal Garurumon. "You just worry about the Stone."   
  
Metal Garurumon flew into position for the plan. Kenji and Brock released their Machoke and Machamp respectively and kept them back until it was time. During this time, the Army Ant continued its relentless assault on the Liberator forces. A barrage of missiles pounded the Army Ant, encasing a layer of ice around its body. The Army Ant turned its cannon to Metal Garurumon and opened fire.   
  
"Okay, go now!" ordered Kenji.   
  
As Kenji had planned, the Army Ant was preoccupied with Metal Garurumon. Machoke and Machamp descended onto the bottom of the gorge and ran to the Army Ant. All the while, Metal Garurumon fired on it to ensure it was too busy to care about the two Pokemon. They leapt onto the top of a small platform above the Gatling gun and began to alternate punches on the same point. It would take a long time, despite the great strength of both Machoke and Machamp.   
  
The Army Ant's pilot heard a loud thumping from above and behind. "Huh? What's going on?"   
  
The co-pilot looked outside the cabin window. "Some Pokemon are trying to punch a hole through our armour!"   
  
The pilot grabbed the radio. "Get those Pokemon off us!"   
  
A Medusa broke off from the main fighting to assist. "Oh no you don't!" exclaimed Kenji. "Haunter, go!"   
  
"You too, Pineco!" exclaimed Brock.   
  
Brock's Pineco, an animated pinecone, barred the Medusa's path with the ghostly Haunter. The Medusa took offence and promptly began firing various Pokemon beam attacks. Pineco and Haunter scattered to evade the barrage. The Medusa swivelled to continue following Haunter, taking the heat off of Pineco. Brock saw an opening and ordered a Rapid Spin attack.   
  
Pineco spun like a top gone out of control and slammed himself into the Medusa's temple. Upon recovering from the attack, one of the Medusa's shot out and grabbed Pineco. It continued crush the life from Pineco as it moved him closer so his Ekans could bite him. Kenji ordered Haunter to help out with a Shadow Ball. The attack injured the Medusa, and also enraged it. It then smashed Haunter into the ground with a Psybeam.   
  
It seemed that the Medusa had the upper hand, but latching onto Pineco proved to be the Medusa's biggest mistake. "Pineco, Explosion!" ordered Brock.   
  
Pineco's body glowed with a bright white light before engulfing the Medusa in a massive explosion. Once the smoke cleared, it revealed Pineco lying on the ground unconscious. The Medusa fared much worse. Its head was blown open as though a water balloon had ruptured. The water in its body and black ichor had splattered all over the ground. Brock and Kenji recalled their Pokemon and turned their attention back to their Fighting type Pokemon.   
  
Machoke and Machamp continued to pound on the Army Ant's armour. After what seemed like an eternity of punching, Machamp's fist pierced through. The two Pokemon promptly began to widen the hole until they could see the innards of the Army Ant. The Pokemon had exposed wires that led from deeper inside to the Gatling gun. Machoke promptly grabbed the wires, ripped them out, and tossed them aside.   
  
The Army Ant gunner pressed the button to fire, but nothing happened. "Shit! The gun's dead!"   
  
After pushing deeper, Machoke found the wires that led from the rail gun to the Stone. "Machoke machoke! (The Stone is deeper inside!)"   
  
"Machamp! (Let's pull it out!)" The two Pokemon tore away the metal until the Stone became exposed. Machamp tried to pull the Stone out, but something was impeding it. "Machamp machamp. (Something's holding the Stone down...)"   
  
Machoke scrutinized the Stone. "Machoke! (Clamps!)"   
  
Machoke broke the clamps, enabling Machamp to pull the Stone completely out of its space. Immediately, the Army Ant went dead. "Machamp! (Yeah!)"   
  
For Surge and Brock the feeling was mutual. "Yeah! Alright!"   
  
In Kenji's case, he had exacted a measure of revenge for the execution of his father. "Good work Machoke!" he complimented, as Machoke returned to the cliff. Kenji took the Stone from Machamp to consult Izzy on how to dispose of it.   
  
The news of the Hostility's capture spread throughout the ranks of the Liberators. It renewed their hope, as well as their attack against Kanto's forces. Metal Garurumon abandoned his attack against the now defunct Army Ant and turned his wrath onto a Lich. He launched a Giga Missile whose explosion caught the undead Alakazam off guard and smashed him into the ground. Angewomon, Smeargle, and Vaporeon capitalized, annihilating the Lich with a well placed Celestial Arrow, Thunderbolt, and Hydro Pump.   
  
The Liberators quickly defeated the Kanto escort and took control of the area. Several rebels appeared in a flicker of blue light. They had been teleported in by various Psychic type Pokemon. Each rebel was in a fully sealed protective suit like those used as protection in biochemical warfare. Each rebel carried a nozzle connected to the canister on their backs by a hose. These men and women were the clean up crew.   
  
Kenji watched from a distance as the clean up crew began clearing the nuclear material. "What are we going to do with the Army Ant? I don't think it's a good idea to leave it here."   
  
"Yeah," replied Surge. "I never expected to take it intact, but hey, that's even better! We could make use of it after some modifications."   
  
Kenji smiled. "Yeah, I can't wait to see the look on Mephistomon's face once he finds out we're using his own toy against him! After what he did to Dad, it's time for a little poetic justice!"   
  
The Liberators spread the news of the destruction of Kanto's nuclear capabilities. Upon reaching the eyes and ears of the Hoenn Alliance, fear of nuclear retaliation vanished. Immediately, the Alliance began to move massive amounts of troops and equipment into Johto. Dozens of cargo planes landed in the airports of Johto while helicopters shuttled soldiers onto the land. It wasn't long before the battle began.   
  
At the Kanto-Johto border, Alliance Pokemon fought enemy Pokemon, Digimon, and the abominations from the defunct Lake of Rage lab. Kanto's anti-aircraft guns banged as they lobbed exploding flak shells, bullets, and missiles into the sky. Overhead Alliance bombers unloaded ordnance onto the enemy below, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The time of Mephistomon's empire was coming to an end. The invasion of Kanto had begun. 


	22. The Eighth Doom

  
  
AnT:   
I agree with you about the starters from a variety perspective and prefer to see more variety in teams. In my opinion, Legendaries don't necessarily represent the most powerful Pokemon. Rather, they are Pokemon with special roles in the Pokemon World. I don't mind if trainers have many evolved Pokemon on their team.   
  


  
  
Ninetalesuk:   
Hey, thanks for the Pokemon listing, Ninetalesuk. Right now, I'm leaning towards putting Brendan in and not Edward. For Brendan, I know about Aggron & Shiftry so they're going in. I'm not sure about the veracity of the Absol & Mudkip rumours, but I'm adding them anyways.   
  
I'm going to keep the name as Ancient Irismon, since I'm more familiar with that name. Frankly, when I look at her, she resembles Zephyrmon more closely than Kazemon. I have no idea why they called her Ancient Kazemon.   
  


  
  
Luis:   
I can't really cover anything from any movie after Spell of the Unown. I might get a little of the Orange Islands in, but my focus will be strictly on Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn.   
  


  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  


  
  
**  
  


**

  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  


  
  
Chapter 21: The Eighth Doom   
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
In the deserts of Server Continent, explosions continued to shake the very earth. The Gigadramon continued to pound the area around a Team Rocket base, as the grunts and Pokemon peeked out of windows to return pot shots. The Gigadramon's bombing rendered it impossible for Team Rocket to leave their base for fear of death. Beneath the ground, a boulder-like Pokemon tossed loosened dirt aside as it tunnelled its way to Team Rocket's base. 

  
**_ ====================Pokedex====================   
Name: Golem  
Type: Rock/Ground  
Evolved From: Graveller   
  
Golem, the Megaton Pokemon, has a body that is strong enough to withstand dynamite blasts without suffering harm. Despite being fairly slow, it can move extremely fast by curling into a ball and rolling.   
  
_**

This Pokemon, Golem, was nothing more than a living boulder, a mass of rock with a life of its own. This Golem was one of Gary's Pokemon, and was creating an entry tunnel for sneaking into the base. After several minutes of digging, Golem cracked through the floor of the base's mess hall. One of the team members released an Alakazam, who leapt out of the hole and put up a barrier. The team poured into the room and took defensive positions.   
  
No one was in the room, since the Team Rocket grunts were preoccupied with the Gigadramon. The team traversed each hallway, scanning each room until they were discovered by a Team Rocket grunt. A battle erupted as the grunt released a Pokemon to confront the intruders. In a flicker of crimson light, a blue-skinned alligator appeared, and Gary's Golem stepped forward to confront him. Gary recognized his opponent as a Feraligator. 

  
**_ ====================Pokedex====================   
Name: Feraligator   
Type: Water   
Evolved From: Croconaw   
  
Feraligator, the Big Jaw Pokemon, can swim with great speed despite its great size. Its powerful hind legs give it deceptively great speed even while on land.   
  
_**

"Feraligator, Hydro Pump!" ordered Feraligator's Team Rocket trainer.   
  
"Golem, Defence Curl!" cried Gary in response.   
  
A stream of highly pressurized water gushed out of Feraligator's mouth. Golem curled his body into a tight ball and braced himself. The Hydro Pump struck Golem with full force, gradually rolling him towards his trainer. Since his attack wasn't causing any damage, Feraligator cancelled it. Gary called for a counter by issuing a command for a Rollout attack. Still curled in a ball, Golem rolled himself forward with great velocity.   
  
Feraligator dug his feet into the ground as he pushed back against Golem's advance. "I can take care of him! Go on ahead!"   
  
"Okay!" replied Whitney, who went off with the others to secure the base.   
  
The entry team swept through the hallways, eliminating any Team Rocket grunt or Pokemon that barred their way. The booming was so loud that it could be heard within a laboratory deep in the base. The lab was a complex with enough stalls for a dozen Digimon of Greymon's size. Several Hagurumon tended to the stalls, each of which held a Digimon wearing a black ring. These Digimon had vacant expressions and eyes that glowed with unholy crimson light.   
  
The noise interrupted a working Datamon technician who was observing a ring of black metal through a microscope. "What's going on?" he asked. The phone rang and Datamon answered. "Hello, this is Datamon."   
  
The voice at the other end turned out to be the base's director. "Our base is under attack! Cops are pouring into our base! Send out the Dark Ring Digimon immediately!"   
  
"...But sir, the rings haven't been perfected yet!"   
  
"I don't care what you think! Send them out now!"   
  
Datamon decided not to protest any further and commanded his Hagurumon to release the Dark Ring Digimon. The twelve Digimon marched out of their stalls and eventually, the leader of the pack, a Greymon, encountered Whitney, Ritchie, and the rest of their team. At the time, they were investigating another laboratory several doors down the hallway. Greymon began the attack by spitting a ball of flame at them, which they dodged by scattering in different directions.   
  
"Milty, go!" In a burst of crimson energy, Whitney's Miltank entered the scene. "Rollout!"   
  
Milty curled into a ball and bowled Greymon over with her Rollout attack. However, it was a hollow victory as a Togemon stepped in to replace her fallen comrade. Ritchie intervened by releasing his Charmeleon, Zippo, and ordered him to torch Togemon with Flamethrower. Roaring flames burst out of Zippo's mouth, engulfing Togemon and sending her onto the ground. However, the two Digimon weren't going to go down so easily and began to get up.   
  
The members of Whitney's team began to retreat into the room. "We're being surrounded!" cried a female team member.   
  
Her Blastoise fired water jets at an unseen enemy outside to cover her team mates' entry into the room. The Digimon forced the team back, herding them into the lab as they swarmed in. As the two sides fought, it was clear the good guys were in deep trouble. It seemed hopeless until something most unusual happened... Just as Togemon prepared to shoot a Needle Spray, Greymon unexpectedly blindsided her with a fireball. Upon recovery, Togemon immediately retaliated by socking Greymon hard on the jaw.   
  
Whitney was surprised. "What's going on?"   
  
Ritchie looked behind. Every Digimon that had been chasing them were now pounding on each other instead. "Why are they fighting each other?" he wondered.   
  
The Digimon continued to battle, their attacks rocking Team Rocket's base hard. Whitney ducked a stray fireball that flew out of the mob. "They're out of control!" cried Whitney.   
  
Their fighting began to threaten the stability of the base. The roof gave out, nearly crushing Ritchie underneath. "Let's get out of here!" he cried.   
  
After recalling all their Pokemon, the entry team fled the scene, leaving the Digimon to fight amongst themselves. The team eventually bumped into Gary. "Gary, we've got to get out of here! The base is going to come down any minute!" cried Whitney.   
  
Some dust dropped from above, drawing Gary's attention to the wobbling roof. Gary made no argument and followed the entry team out. Moments after fleeing the base, it caved in upon itself catastrophically. All that remained was a pile of rubble and the team's mission ended in a bittersweet success. Though they wanted to shut the place down, they also wanted Team Rocket's files. Those files would have contained valuable information, but it was now lost forever.   
  
Feeling somewhat disappointed, everybody returned to Oak's place Silph Town. Gennai was there and eagerly awaited the news. "How did it go?" he asked.   
  
"Awful," replied Ritchie.   
  
"What happened?" asked Gennai.   
  
"The base collapsed before we could take control of it," replied Whitney. "I just don't understand why those Digimon turned on each other..."   
  
Gennai was curious about Whitney's mention of the Digimon. "Digimon turned on each other?" asked Gennai.   
  
"Yeah," replied Whitney. "We were fighting some of Team Rocket's Digimon when they suddenly started attacking each other for no reason. They were so out of control that they tore the whole base apart."   
  
"Hmm..." mumbled Gennai. "That's strange. Did you notice anything else unusual about these Digimon?"   
  
"Is it just me, or didn't all those Digimon have a funny black ring?" asked Ritchie.   
  
Whitney thought back to the battle and realized that Ritchie was correct. "Come to think of it, yeah, every one of them wore a strange black ring."   
  
"This is not good..." commented Gennai under his breath.   
  
"What's not good?" asked Whitney.   
  
"I think Team Rocket was trying to develop new technology that can enslave Digimon, like the Black Gears."   
  
"Black Gears?" asked Gary. Gennai told Gary, Ritchie, and Whitney about the Digidestined's early battle versus the Black Gears, gears made from black stone. The Black Gears lodged themselves in the body of Digimon and enslave them to the owner, Devimon.   
  
"You're telling me that Team Rocket was trying to find a way to control Digimon against their will?" asked Gary.   
  
"Yeah, or at least they were, until you guys disrupted their research," replied Gennai. "From what you told me, Team Rocket hadn't perfected the rings yet. That must be why the Digimon turned on each other."   
  
"Could these black rings be used to control a Pokemon too?" asked Ritchie.   
  
"I don't know," admitted Gennai.   
  
"Well, Pokemon and Digimon are different, both physically and metaphysically," noted Oak. "There's no telling what might happen if one of these rings got on a Pokemon."   
  
"I don't think we need to worry about it since you destroyed their lab and disrupted their research," dismissed Gennai. "Professor, have you finished testing the bracer?"   
  
"Yeah, it works fine," replied Oak.   
  
Gennai received Anubismon's bracer from Professor Oak. "Thanks a lot. I'm delivering it to the others. They will need all the help they can get to battle Mephistomon."   
  
"Wait!" cried Gary. "Ash will need every bit of help he can get, so take me too!"   
  
"Me too!" continued Ritchie.   
  
"Me three!" finished Whitney.   
  
"No problem," replied Gennai. He waved goodbye to Professor Oak and the four vanished in a burst of iridescent light. 

  
  
****************************************   
  


The Johto Team returned to the Vermillion City base on the back of Phoenixmon after having disposed of the Stone of Hypocrisy. Though they made certain to avoid the main battle at the Kanto-Johto border, it was still dangerous. The risk of being attacked, whether purposely by Kanto, or accidentally by Johto, was high. Fortunately, the team made it back without any entanglements with either side of the war.   
  
Upon their arrival, they were greeted warmly by the Kanto Team's members. "Hey guys, you made it back!" exclaimed Brock.   
  
"Yeah, we got rid of the Stones in Johto," said Sora. She noted that the Kanto Team had acquired two new members. "Who are they?"   
  
"These were the two new people I told you about," replied Casey. "Meet Kenji and Yuki." The three exchanged introductions.   
  
However, the meeting did not go as well for Team Rocket. "Team Rocket?" asked Brock accusingly. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"Yeah, I'll bet you came here to steal our Pokemon!" accused Tracey.   
  
"We're not here to take your Pokemon! Honest!" replied an apologetic Meowth.   
  
"Yeah! We're here to help you guys stop Mephistomon!"   
  
"Don't worry guys," vouched TK. "They really do want to help. They helped us back in Johto."   
  
Team Rocket nodded repeatedly in agreement with TK. "Alright, I guess it's okay then," agreed a somewhat reluctant Brock.   
  
The two teams were highly successful, having disposed of seven of the eight Stones of Doom. Only one remained, the Stone of Darkness. Mephistomon was the Eighth Doom, the incarnation of Darkness, and would surely be guarding it. The only thing left was to get the stone and victory was theirs. Conveniently, the Liberators already had that information and held a briefing the next day for the final battle.   
  
"Okay guys, this is the big one," began Surge. "Today is the day we free Kanto!"   
  
The Liberators broke out in cheers before Electra called for order. "We have found the last Stone of Doom."   
  
Electra pressed some buttons on a remote control and a distant picture of the Stone of Darkness flickered into sight. Unlike the other Stones of Doom, the Omen of Darkness was a mountain, rather than the smaller statues that the heroes were used to. It was a dark, foreboding place with lightning erupting from the black storm clouds overhead. Ash immediately recognized the town in front of the mountain. It was Indigo Town, where Indigo League competition was held.   
  
"It is to the northeast of Indigo Plateau in the mountainous regions of northwest Kanto."   
  
"Why didn't we see it before? How can anyone miss something so big?" asked Tai.   
  
"I guess it's because the power of the other Stones of Doom hid it from sight," replied Izzy.   
  
"Whatever the reason, we know Mephistomon will be there and guarding it with his life," continued Electra. "He'll likely have others, Digimon, Pokemon, or some abominations with him."   
  
"However, we know that Ash and friends will have to be the ones to face him," continued Surge. "Just concentrate on Mephistomon. Don't worry about Mephistomon's troops. Our boys have got that covered. To help you, a familiar friend has come bearing a gift."   
  
The door to the meeting room opened and the Digidestined were surprised by who entered the room. "Gennai?" asked the Digidestined.   
  
"Yep," replied the Digidestined's guide.   
  
Gennai was not alone, and Ash was surprised by his companions. "Gary, you're here too? Ritchie?"   
  
"That's right! A second-rate trainer like you wouldn't even last one second against Mephistomon, so I'm giving you a hand," boasted Gary. Ash was irritated by Gary's boasting, but welcomed the help from Gary.   
  
"I have come with a gift for the Pokemon trainers," announced Gennai, as he held up the Anubismon's golden bracer. "This bracer belonged to Anubismon, the Sovereign of the Dead. Any Pokemon that wears it will become a giant version of himself. They will be more powerful and have their attacks empowered by Holy energy! I only have one so you have to decide who will get it."   
  
"That's an easy choice," said Brock. "Let Ash have it." The other Pokemon trainers agreed unanimously.   
  
"Me?" asked Ash.   
  
"Yeah," replied Brock.   
  
"You're the one who can hit the homerun for us, Ash!" exclaimed Casey.   
  
May agreed. "Yeah, a newbie trainer like me wouldn't do any good. You're the one who has the best chance against Mephistomon!"   
  
Ash was emboldened by his friends' encouraging words. "Thanks guys, I won't let you down!"   
  
"Okay, Ash and Pikachu are going to fight Mephistomon, but they will not be enough. Who else is going to help them?" asked Electra.   
  
"Also, keep in mind that Mephistomon has statues that seal Digivolution to Mega level," reminded Gennai. "He will try to send someone to stop you down, and it's possible that this someone could include Mega level Digimon."   
  
"How about we send Phoenixmon? She's a Mega and has Holy powers too," noted Sora.   
  
"Yeah, but our most experienced Megas are War Greymon and Metal Garurumon," countered Matt. "If it gets bad, they can always form Omnimon who has Holy powers too. I vote that we send them instead."   
  
The others debated their strategy and decided to go with Matt's idea. The rest of the heroes would run interference to ensure that Pikachu, War Greymon, and Metal Garurumon were at their best for Mephistomon. For the second part, the Liberators would split into two teams and launch a coup against Kanto. If successful, this coup would divide the army of Kanto and may even convert its generals over to the Liberators' side.   
  
The first team had the goal of capturing the President of Kanto. Since the war had reached Kanto's soil, the President would be hiding in his bunker by now. Unfortunately, the Liberators knew the location of this bunker so he was not safe there. The bunker assault team had Surge, Kenji, and Yuki as members, and would secure the bunker and capture the President. They were bringing heavy firepower in the form of the Army Ant, which the Liberators had modified.   
  
The second team had the goal of capturing the Presidential Mansion. This act was to seal the coup and remove Kanto from Mephistomon's control. Since the war had reached Kanto, the military would be tied up, and unable to spare reinforcements. The second team was to take advantage of this, capture the Presidential Mansion, and announce the coup by radio. With their planning session behind them, the resistance set out for the final battle against Mephistomon. 

  
  
****************************************   
  


The heroes sped to the Omen of Darkness one of the Liberators' transport trucks. The trees and grassy fields went by and disappeared into the horizon behind them. In the distance before them, the mountainous Stone of Darkness edged closer and closer. It looked almost like a spearhead of obsidian in the light of the day. As they neared the black monolith, they noticed an unusual discontinuity between the light and the darkness that surrounded the mountain.   
  
"Why's it dark there and bright here?" asked May.   
  
"It's probably Mephistomon," replied TK. "There's no way it could be natural."   
  
This discontinuity was a wall-like boundary separating the light and the dark. At a certain point in the ground, everything beyond was dark, while everything before it was light. It seemed to mark the Stone of Darkness' area of influence. This zone of darkness was centred on the Omen of Darkness itself, and seemed to gradually expand away from the mountain. It was as though the darkness was claiming more and more territory with its advance.   
  
"I have a bad feeling about this..." muttered Gatomon.   
  
The truck breached the threshold and it was night time instantly. "No sunset, just darkness," commented Brock as he looked at the unnaturally darkened land.   
  
Mimi pointed to a battle happening some distance left of the Stone of Darkness. "Hey look at the fireworks!"   
  
The others followed her finger to a clash between Kanto and Hoenn Alliance forces. As Surge promised, the Liberators would take care of everything. Every few seconds, they could hear sporadic muffled banging coming from that direction. The sky was lighted by the tracers from firing anti-aircraft guns. A trail of fiery plumes erupted like geysers as jets bombed enemy lines. Though the fighting was exciting to watch, the voyage was uneventful otherwise.   
  
James scanned the skies and noted something flying in the air. "What is that thing?"   
  
Tai pulled out his miniature telescope and looked in the direction James pointed. It turned out to be a fearsome insect monster on patrol. Its mandibles twitched open and closed and its orangey fly-like wings flapped rapidly as it scanned below. Its chitinous body was dark green, almost black to the eye. The creature had two limbs which functioned like hands and four that acted like legs. At the end of each of his limbs was a trio of long sharp claws. This monster turned out to be a Digimon, Grand Kuwagamon, when scanned with the Digimon Analyzer. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Grand Kuwagamon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Mega   
Attacks: Dimension Scissor, Catastrophe   
  
Grand Kuwagamon is a potential Mega form for the Kuwagamon line of Digimon. He is a vicious insect Digimon who goes berserk upon sensing combat.   
  
_**

"Has he seen us yet?" asked Meowth.   
  
Grand Kuwagamon turned his head towards the heroes' truck and immediately moved to intercept. "He has now!" cried Tai.   
  
"Hold on tight!" cried the driver. The driver made a hard right turn just as Grand Kuwagamon's energy attack exploded behind them.   
  
"Let me out!" cried Sora to the driver of the truck. "You guys go on ahead. Biyomon and I can handle him. You ready, Biyomon?"   
  
"Yeah! I'll squash that bug!" replied Biyomon.   
  
"Alright," replied Tai. "Just be careful, okay?" Sora nodded in assurance.   
  
Vast amounts of energy surged through Biyomon's body. "Biyomon, Warp Digivolve to... Phoenixmon!"   
  
Phoenixmon took to the skies and met Grand Kuwagamon face to face. A battle ensued the moment Grand Kuwagamon began his attack. He slashed through the air, cutting open a dimensional tear which sped towards his opponent. Phoenixmon evaded the Dimension Scissors and rammed into Grand Kuwagamon head first. The others sped away as Phoenixmon's Crimson Flame, and Grand Kuwagamon's Dimension Scissors collided in a brilliant explosion.   
  
"I hope Sora's okay without us..." said May, watching the two Digimon battle.   
  
The heroes continued on their way until spotted six enemy monsters occupying the road ahead. Five of these creatures were Orcs, and each of them carried a different distinguishing weapon. The sixth was the giant floating skull of an Alakazam Lich. The skull and its eye sockets burned with unholy violet flames as it sensed the approach of his enemies. Izzy dubbed this bodiless monstrosity a Demi Lich, after a similar creature from his role playing computer games.   
  
The truck stopped some distance and everyone but Ash, Tai, Matt, Kari, and TK got out. "We're almost at the mountain. Keep going and beat Mephistomon for us!" said Joe.   
  
"Okay, I'll have Pikachu zap him good just for you," said Ash.   
  
"Pikachu! (Yeah!)" exclaimed Pikachu.   
  
Ash retreated back to the truck before it sped away, leaving the others behind. At once, the Digimon ascended to the Ultimate level, and the trainers released Pokemon to confront the Orcs and Demi Lich. May's Torchic and Lillymon went head to head with the Orc wielding a battleaxe. Lillymon nailed the Battleaxe Orc in the face with a ball of solar energy from her Flower Cannon. The attack infuriated the Battleaxe Orc into blowing her into the ground with an Icy Wind.   
  
Brock's Machamp and Mega Kabuterimon charged at the Demi Lich. Mega Kabuterimon made the first move and fired a bolt of lighting forward; his Horn Buster attack. In response, the Demi Lich responded with his own lightning, Thunderbolt. Upon striking each other, the two attacks cancelled each other out with a crackle. Using the exchange as a diversion, Machamp moved in close and rattled the Demi Lich with a clean palm strike to the side of his skull.   
  
The heroes still in the truck watched as their comrades both struggled and prospered against the enemy. They reached the Omen of Darkness and glanced all the way up to the top of the mountain. Storm clouds blotted out the stars, and lightning arced towards the peak. The electricity lit up the mountain, revealing to be darkly translucent and glossy. As they gazed upon this symbol of evil, Tai noticed something sliding down its slopes at a rapid pace.   
  
He watched as the figure descended and ran towards them, revealing itself to be Mephistomon. "Get ready, Mephistomon's coming our way!" 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Mephistomon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Attacks: Death Cloud, Black Sabbath   
  
This unholy Digimon was created from Apocalymon's data and can be considered the "Son of Apocalymon." His reign will bring everlasting darkness to the world.   
  
_**

"I'm impressed," began Mephistomon. "You were able to make it this far and destroy seven of my Stones of Doom."   
  
"Yeah, and we're going to make it eight now!" cried Ash defiantly.   
  
"Oh, but I beg to differ! You were lucky up until this point, but this is where your luck runs out. Since you brought some friends along, it's only fitting that I bring some of my own."   
  
Suddenly, a shrill screech pierced through the air! The heroes looked up and scattered as the source of the screech blasted the ground with scalding flames. Once they regained their composure, the heroes got a clear look at their assailant. It turned out that their assailant was a reanimated bird skeleton, one of a trio which hovered in the air. Ash noticed that these birds were oddly familiar...   
  
"The Legendary Birds of Kanto?" wondered Ash out loud.   
  
Indeed, Ash was right about the identity of his attacker. The three bird skeletons were the three Legendary Birds of Kanto. The first, Articuno, had a layer of hardened ice covering its bones. The second bird had electricity arcing through the bones of his body. It was clear this one used to Zapdos. The last was engulfed in flames, and was clearly Moltres at one time. It was "Necro-Moltres" who had attacked them earlier.   
  
"That's right! It was a shame to waste such powerful Pokemon. Like they say, waste not, want not," replied Mephistomon.   
  
"You're twisted!" decried Ash, but Mephistomon only chuckled.   
  
"Let us take care of them!" said Patamon. "Ash, Tai, Matt, go after Mephistomon instead."   
  
The others nodded affirmatively. Patamon and Gatomon Digivolved to their Ultimate forms of Magna Angemon and Angewomon respectively. The two angel Digimon took to the air and clashed with the undead Legendary Birds. The sky became a lit with the light of fiery, icy, electrical, and Holy blasts. Tai, Matt, and Ash returned their focus to Mephistomon.   
  
"So you're going to gang on me then? Well anytime you're ready, we can begin. I don't have all day you know..." mocked Mephistomon.   
  
Immediately, Agumon and Gabumon ascended to Mega level. War Greymon made the first move and lobbed a Terra Force. As a counter, Mephistomon exhaled Death Cloud; a fog of noxious, jet black vapour. The attacks met midway and ignited a massive explosion upon contact. The force of this explosion blew War Greymon back, who landed on his feet safely. Mephistomon had blocked the blast with his arms, and unshielded his body.   
  
"Was that your best? You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me!" taunted Mephistomon.   
  
Metal Garurumon's weapon bays opened and a massive salvo of missiles swooshed out. Mephistomon channelled his power for a Black Sabbath attack, eventually releasing the energy as a wave of darkness. The wave overtook the missiles and destroyed each of them. Metal Garurumon followed by launching a Giga Missile, whose explosion knocked the demon down. However, he immediately leapt back onto his feet, no worse for wear.   
  
"Okay Pikachu, your turn now!" said Ash.   
  
"Pikachu! (Alright!)"   
  
Pikachu stepped forward and activated Anubismon's bracer. A surge of power coursed through his body, as though he had been struck by lightning. He grew to massive proportions, becoming larger that a three story building. Once his transformation was complete, Ash ordered a Thunderbolt attack on Mephistomon. Since he was preoccupied with War Greymon and Metal Garurumon, he was unable to defend himself.   
  
The bracer added positive energy to the attack, heightening its effect on the demon. "Gaaaaaah! Damn, the Powers of Light!" cursed Mephistomon, who eventually gazed at Giant Pikachu. "So Anubismon gave you his bracer, did he?"   
  
Mephistomon expelled a Death Cloud on the gust of his breath. The fog of negative energy wracked Pikachu's body with pain before he collapsed. War Greymon renewed his attack, catching Mephistomon with a Terra Force. The powerful sphere of energy hurtled Mephistomon onto his back just in time for Metal Garurumon's follow up. The cybernetic wolf launched a Giga Missile into the demon's chest, kicking up a huge cloud of dust in its explosion.   
  
Once the smoke cleared, Mephistomon leapt back onto his feet. "That was a pretty good warm up. Now let's get serious!"   
  
Mephistomon held out his hand and bolts of lightning leapt out of his fingertips. War Greymon raised his arms in defence, but the electricity overpowered him and he collapsed onto the ground. More lightning arced out of Mephistomon's fingertips, but Metal Garurumon and Pikachu darted away safely. A blast of flame gushed from Mephistomon's mouth, consuming Metal Garurumon whole and causing him to crash.   
  
For his final move, Mephistomon stomped the ground, touching off a massive earthquake which levelled Pikachu, Ash, Tai, and Matt. Ash was shocked by what he witnessed. "That was a Thunderbolt, a Flamethrower, and an Earthquake attack!   
  
Matt was equally shocked. "Those were Pokemon abilities?"   
  
Tai couldn't believe what he just saw either. "He can use Pokemon abilities too?"   
  
"How do we beat a Digimon who can use virtually any Pokemon attack as well as his own attacks?" asked Matt.   
  
"We'll find a way!" replied War Greymon, as he picked himself off the ground.   
  
War Greymon clasped his hands above his head, spinning rapidly like a drill bit. As he sped towards Mephistomon for a Brave Tornado attack, Pikachu empowered it with Holy electricity. The combination proved most effective against its victim. The electricity crackled dangerously and surged into Mephistomon's body as War Greymon collided with Mephistomon and took him off his feet. However, in a great show of fortitude, Mephistomon leapt back onto his feet to continue the fight.   
  
Darkness oozed from Mephistomon's body and formed into a pair of shoulder mounted cannons. They began to spew out a massive volley of yellow fireballs which levelled Pikachu. Mephistomon turned his fire onto the two Mega Digimon, who immediately dodged the attack. The Son of Apocalymon kept his focus on War Greymon, spewing more and more energy until he finally overwhelmed the Mega. The cannons continued their relentless assault and eventually felled Metal Garurumon as well.   
  
This unusual attack surprised Ash. "I've never seen that attack before..."   
  
However, Tai recognized this attack to his horror. "No, it couldn't be!   
  
"What is it Tai? Why are you so shocked?"   
  
"He's using Giga Cannon!"   
  
"Giga Cannon?"   
  
"It's the special attack of Machinedramon, a Digimon!" asked Matt.   
  
Ash gasped at the realization of what this meant. "He can use any Digimon attack too?"   
  
Mephistomon simply chuckled. "Now do you understand why you are no match for me? I have the power of all Pokemon and all Digimon all my disposal!"   
  



	23. The Last Son of Apocalymon

  
  
Epsilon:   
Mutant Misty isn't going to show up again in this fic. I'm bringing her back in the sequel.   
  


  
  
Morpher251:   
You're right on the money. If you've seen Digimon, you'd know Apocalymon can use attacks from any Digimon that has ever existed. That's because he's made from dead Digimon. Mephistomon is basically an incomplete Apocalymon that was finished using Pokemon data.   
  
Also, are you still writing your fics? I want to see how they end.   
  


  
  
AnT:   
No, my sequel isn't taking place in Coliseum.   
  


  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.   
  


  
  
**  
  


**

  
  
The Stones of Doom   
By: RB3   
  


  
  
Chapter 22: The Last Son of Apocalymon   
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
The titanic battle between Mephistomon, Giant Pikachu, War Greymon, and Metal Garurumon continued. Each attack produced a thunderous explosion that could be heard for miles around. Mephistomon cupped his hands together and fired Shadow Ball at Giant Pikachu. In response, Ash ordered the firing of a Thunderbolt which cancelled out the Shadow Ball attack. Mephistomon dodged War Greymon's Brave Tornado and prepared for his counter.   
  
Darkness oozed from Mephistomon's body and formed the torso of massive demonic creature. This creature had a central head and two monstrous worm-like maws for shoulders. Tai and Matt recognized the face of the central head as belonging to Myotismon. The vampiric Myotismon was one of the Digidestined's greatest foes. They concluded that this new Digimon was some sort of alternate Digivolutionary form for Myotismon that they had not seen yet.   
  
"Screaming Darkness!" called Mephistomon.   
  
A wave of darkness gushed out of the maws of the unknown Myotismon. Pikachu, War Greymon, and Metal Garurumon scattered and managed to dodge that attack. Mephistomon came in with a flying Hi Jump Kick which caught Pikachu in the face and flattened him. The demon oozed darkness once again, turning it into the head of a massive sea serpent, Metal Seadramon. Using its attack, River of Power, Mephistomon shot the Digimon out of the sky with coherent beams of energy.   
  
As Pikachu recovered, Mephistomon used the Double Team ability and produced ten false copies of himself. The Electric mouse was caught dumbfounded and couldn't tell which was real. "Pika? (Huh?)"   
  
"I know one of them is real but which one?" asked Ash.   
  
Metal Garurumon scanned around. Despite the images appearing real, his sensors were not fooled. "Pikachu, over there on the right!"   
  
Ash's sight locked onto the real Mephistomon. "Pikachu, Thunder!"   
  
Pikachu gave Mephistomon a great zap with his electricity and caused him severe pain. The attack broke his concentration and caused his false images to vanish, leaving the real Mephistomon behind. War Greymon tossed a Terra Force but to his surprise, Mephistomon surrounded himself with an aura of azure light. Though the energy ball struck him and exploded, the demon withstood the attack without suffering any harm.   
  
"A force field?" asked War Greymon.   
  
"He's using the Protect Pokemon ability to defend himself," corrected Ash.   
  
"How do we break through it?" asked Tai.   
  
"Just keep hitting him," instructed Ash. "Protect breaks down if you're hit too many times."   
  
"Okay guys, did you hear that?" asked Matt.   
  
"Yeah!" replied War Greymon.   
  
War Greymon led with his Brave Tornado and drilled into Mephistomon's Protect field as hard as he could. The sheer force of the attack knocked the demon back, but the shield remained intact. Pikachu followed with a Quick Attack, hitting Mephistomon with all the force of a speeding truck. The demon's protective shield collapsed and he was dazed by the hit. Metal Garurumon finished the job by spraying a blast of ice which encased Mephistomon in a block of ice.   
  
"Yeah!" cried Tai.   
  
"Great work everybody!" congratulated Matt.   
  
After a burst of power, Mephistomon shattered his icy prison. "Grrr... You guys are beginning to annoy me! It's time to end this game! Mephistomon, Mega Digivolve to..."   
  
A cloud of darkness wrapped around Mephistomon and vanished. He had undergone startling metamorphosis. The demon had become an unholy centaur-like Digimon of unfathomable size. This demonic creature had violet fur on its horse-like parts. His torso had lifeless grey skin and a horned worm-like head. On his crotch was a grotesque inhuman mouth which opened and closed of its own volition. He flapped his great mauve wings, generating hurricane force winds that threw Ash, Tai, and Matt onto their backs.   
  
"Galfmon!"   
  
"Pika! (Look at the size of that thing!)" exclaimed Pikachu. Indeed, Galfmon was a giant even to Giant Pikachu. Galfmon looked as tall as Ash did when Pikachu was at his normal size.   
  
"Whoa, that's the biggest Digimon I've ever seen!" commented Ash as he tried to scan Galfmon. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Galfmon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Mega   
Attacks: Dead Scream, Black Requiem   
  
This monstrosity has the power to shake the world down to its very foundation. His power is immeasurable and he will devour the world in darkness if not stopped.   
  
_**

"Tremble with fear, fools, for I am your undoing!" taunted Galfmon. 

  
  
****************************************   
  


Phoenixmon and Grand Kuwagamon continued their epic battle, exchanging fiery and energy blasts back and forth. The great phoenix rolled to the side to evade Grand Kuwagamon's Dimension Scissors, and breathed roaring Crimson Fire in retaliation. The flames seared Grand Kuwagamon but he extinguished them by shaking his body. He fired a second Dimension Scissors which clipped Phoenixmon in the wing and sent her into a headfirst freefall.   
  
"Phoenixmon!" cried Sora in anguish.   
  
The great phoenix crashed into the ground, raising a huge cloud of dust. After the air cleared, it revealed Phoenixmon lying on the ground motionless. Grand Kuwagamon clamped his mandibles around her body and began to crush her between them. Phoenixmon flapped her wings to gain height and break Grand Kuwagamon's vice-like grip. Despite her best efforts, the insect Digimon's mandibles were too strong.   
  
"Phoenixmon, don't give up!" cheered Sora.   
  
Phoenixmon continued to take to the skies to break free. Though Grand Kuwagamon's mandibles held onto her tight, she managed to lift him a metre off the ground. As she continued to rise, Grand Kuwagamon mirrored her movements to keep her between his mandibles. The insect Digimon renew his attempts to crush her and the pain radiated throughout Phoenixmon's body. As a desperate move, she attempted a Starlight Explosion.   
  
Phoenixmon fanned her widely wings open and released immense amounts of Holy energy. The Starlight Explosion was painful to look at and Sora had to avert her gaze. Since this attack was made at point blank range, Grand Kuwagamon had no chance of escaping. The explosion instantly consumed the insect Digimon and blasted him to pieces. Grand Kuwagamon's remains tumbled to the ground and crumbled into data.   
  
"Yeah! Great job, Phoenixmon!" cheered Sora.   
  
"Thanks Sora!" replied Phoenixmon. "Hop on my back. We're going to help the others!"   
  
Meanwhile, the heroes were struggling against the Orcs and the Demi Lich. These powerhouses were immensely strong as well as resistant to the heroes' attacks. The Demi Lich rammed itself into Machamp's body, knocking the Superpower Pokemon onto his back. The Demi Lich turned to Mega Kabuterimon and blew out Dragonbreath, a jet of emerald green flame. The electric beetle braced himself for the hit but its great force put him on his back. Using this as a diversion Brock decided to substitute Machamp out and replace him with Golbat.   
  
"Golbat, use Wing attack!"   
  
The bat Pokemon spread its wings and made a swooping dive at the Demi Lich. Golbat slapped its wing against his target, nearly knocking the hovering Alakazam skull upside down. The Demi Lich was angered by this intrusion, turned around, and cast a beam of crimson light from his eye sockets. Golbat began to fly around in circles in a daze and unaware of his surroundings. Brock concluded that Golbat had been struck by a Confuse Ray and withdrew him to allow him time to regain his bearings.   
  
The great sword bearing Orc cuffed Arbok with the handle of his weapon, knocking him into the ground. "These guys are strong!" commented Jessie.   
  
Meowth took the Orc's punch on the chin and was hurtled into the ground before Jessie and James. "Owwwww..." groaned Meowth. "Being blasted off by Pikachu actually feels good compared to this..."   
  
The Great Sword Orc exhaled a gust of Icy Wind which trapped Weezing in a chunk of ice. "Weezing!" cried James. "You better not have hurt him, or I'll..."   
  
"...Or you'll do what?" snarled the Great Sword Orc.   
  
"Nothing..." replied James meekly. The Great Sword Orc made a great overhead chop at James who skittered away before the blade hit.   
  
"I don't think we can beat these guys!" admitted a worried Mimi, as she watched an Orc freeze Lillymon within a block of ice.   
  
Torchic exhaled a jet of fire at the Battleaxe Orc but this only made him angry rather than cause any actual damage. The Orc grabbed the Chick Pokemon and punted her into May's arms. "Oh Torchic, are you okay?"   
  
"Tor... chic..." groaned May's Pokemon.   
  
"I'm sorry," said May, as she retreated from the battle.   
  
"Man, how do we beat these guys?" wondered Joe out loud. "None of our attacks keep them down for long!"   
  
The Mace Orc bashed Whitney's Clefairy into the ground and raised his mace in preparation for the death blow. Zudomon stepped in and tossed his hammer, scoring a hit on the Orc's exposed ribs. Whitney took this opportunity to recall Clefairy and send out Miltank. The Piloswine mutant recoiled in pain from the hammer's blow and glared threateningly at Zudomon. The walrus warrior caught his returning hammer and smashed it into the ground to shoot a wave of yellow energy forward.   
  
The Mace Orc struck the wave with his mace, which dissipated it harmlessly. The Mace Orc promptly smashed his weapon into the ground, causing an Earthquake which floored Zudomon. Just as Zudomon's opponent was about to finish him off, a jet of flame flared at the Mace Orc and burned it to a crisp. All of that remained of the Orc's body was black charcoal. Zudomon looked up to see Phoenixmon come down and drop Sora off.   
  
"Sora, you're here!" remarked the walrus warrior.   
  
"Uhuh, and I'm just in time too!" observed Sora.   
  
The Great Sword Orc turned his attention back to Weezing, who was still trapped in a prison of ice. The Orc raised his sword high for power but as it swung it downward, the blade only cut the surface of the ice. Something or someone snatched the Orc by the shoulders and pulled him into the air. The Orc looked up to see that it was the golden bird, Phoenixmon, who thwarted his attempted to finish off Weezing. After gaining great height, Phoenixmon released the Orc, and he landed onto the ground with a thud.   
  
Jessie felt the boost of morale that came with the felling of the two Orcs. "We might win this one after all!"   
  
Phoenixmon thawed Lillymon and Weezing out of their icy prisons their partners' gratitude. Afterwards, she snatched the Battleaxe Orc and flew off to battle him away from the crowd. The battle lines redrew themselves with May being forced to sit out since her only Pokemon, Torchic, had been injured. Whitney and Zudomon joined Gary and Ritchie against the Hammer Orc, while Lillymon helped Tracey and Casey against the Spear Orc. With only the Demi Lich left, Team Rocket decided to reinforce that battle.   
  
The battle turned in favour of the heroes since they could now concentrate more force on fewer opponents. Zudomon smashed his hammer against the ground, sending a wave of energy at the Hammer Orc. The attack scored an excellent hit on the Orc's chest which wounded him severely. Whitney's Miltank picked up speed in a Rollout and smacked the Orc in that very same spot. Gary's Magmar and Ritchie's Charmeleon, Zippo, dealt the finishing blow with Flamethrowers which reduced the Orc into charcoal.   
  
As Tracey's Marill and Casey's Bayleef preoccupied the Spear Orc, Lillymon silently moved behind him. She took aim and fired her Flower Cannon, hitting the Orc in the back of the head. The Piloswine Mutant was stunned momentarily as it stumbled forward, but this was all that Marill and Bayleef needed to win. Marill knocked the Orc back with Water Gun as Bayleef riddled his body with Razor Leaves. The Spear Orc gave out and collapsed onto the ground.   
  
The Demi Lich flattened Mega Kabuterimon with a Shadow Ball. However, the Alakazam skull was caught off guard when Brock's Onix Pokemon clamped on with his jaws. Onix would not let go at all, despite the Demi Lich's struggles to break free. Arbok began to Bite him, Weezing tossed Sludge, and Meowth clawed away with Fury Swipes. Team Rocket enjoyed themselves as they took free shots on their helpless victim. Mega Kabuterimon recovered and others scattered as the electric beetle blasted the Demi Lich to pieces with Horn Buster. 

  
  
****************************************   
  


For Pikachu, War Greymon, and Metal Garurumon, Galfmon proved to be a formidable opponent. War Greymon tossed a Terra Force which exploded, but did no lasting harm to the demonic centaur. Metal Garurumon launched a Giga Missile which exploded in Galfmon's face, but he did not flinch even a bit. Galfmon took a swing at the two Digimon and knocked them out of the air. Galfmon newfound power had stumped Tai and Matt.   
  
Tai was concerned. "No! Our attacks have no effect!"   
  
"Let me try!" demanded Ash. "Pikachu, Thunder!"   
  
Pikachu called forth deadly bolts of lighting from the sky to zap Galfmon. The demonic centaur flinched in pain to Matt's surprise. "You hurt him?"   
  
"How?" asked Tai.   
  
"I think it's because Pikachu's electricity has Holy power in it," suggested Ash. "I don't think we can hurt him anymore unless we use Holy attacks..."   
  
"War Greymon, Digivolve to Omnimon!" cried Tai. "You can't hurt him unless you use Holy power!"   
  
"You too, Metal Garurumon!"   
  
War Greymon nodded knowingly. "War Greymon..." War Greymon body turned to smoke, leaving only his helmet behind.   
  
"Metal Garurumon..." Metal Garurumon's body did the same, and only his lupine helmet remained.   
  
"DNA Digivolve to..."   
  
Metal Garurumon and War Greymon's heads became the hands of the arms that extended from them. A nimbus of radiant golden light formed between the arms, taking on the shape of a humanoid body. The light subsided and revealed a humanoid figure with clawed feet. It was clad in pearly white metal armour and a crimson cape. In one motion, this new Digimon slashed with the blade in its War Greymon arm and fired a blast with the cannon in its Metal Garurumon arm.   
  
"Omnimon!" 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Omnimon   
Attribute: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Attacks: Transcendent Sword, Supreme Cannon   
  
The hopes and dreams of people around the world brought this holy knight Digimon into existence. He is the bane of all evil and unholy Digimon and few of them can match his strength.   
  
_**

Omnimon renewed the attack by firing his Supreme Cannon. The weapon let a loud bang rip through the air as it expelled a sphere of compressed Holy energy. The attack struck Galfmon in the chest. Upon bursting, Galfmon took the force of a tactical nuclear strike and was thrown onto his side. Though the Supreme Cannon scored an excellent hit, Galfmon was still able to recover. He would not be beaten by a Digimon as powerful as Omnimon.   
  
Galfmon oozed darkness out of his body in preparation to use a Digimon attack. The inky darkness coalesced into a demonic sorcerer in crimson robes. Upon the cry of "Evil Inferno," the image of the sorcerer expelled vast amounts of hellish flames from his hands. The flames pursued both Pikachu and Omnimon as though they had a life of their own. Omnimon darted into the sky to escape while Pikachu ran away with the help of the Agility Pokemon ability.   
  
Once Omnimon had reached a safe distance, he braced his Supreme Cannon and fired a massive burst of Holy energy. The demonic centaur took the hit full force once again, and was stunned. Pikachu summoned a divinely empowered lightning bolt from the heavens which strike Galfmon and paralyze him momentarily. Omnimon swooped in and made a great slash across Galfmon's chest which sent him into the ground.   
  
Though Galfmon was severely wounded by that combination, he was still not willing to quit. "I will not be beaten by the likes of you!"   
  
After a brief struggle, Galfmon returned to his feet. He held out his three pronged claws and released a powerful Hyper Beam. The attack caught Omnimon in the chest and hurtled him backwards. To help his ally, Pikachu leapt onto the demonic centaur's back and bit into him hard. This heroic act caused Galfmon's concentration to break, as well as his beam. He screamed in pain and began bucking about randomly to throw Pikachu off. Eventually, Galfmon grabbed the little pest and clawed him.   
  
The blow caught Pikachu's bracer and broke it in two. "Pikachu!" cried Ash.   
  
The bracer snapped off Pikachu's arm and the Electric mouse began to feel as though he was sinking. Galfmon grew bigger by the second, but it was actually Pikachu who was shrinking. "Pika... (Uh-oh...)"   
  
Pikachu attempted to zap him with a Thunderbolt to no avail. Galfmon simply chuckled smugly. "Ha ha ha! Just as I thought; you're nothing without Anubismon's bracer!"   
  
"Ash, get Pikachu out of there! He can't do anything against Galfmon without that bracer!" warned Tai.   
  
Galfmon attempted to stomp Pikachu flat but the electric mouse was too quick. Failing that, the demonic centaur used his Dead Scream technique; the ability to generate damaging sonic waves by screaming loudly. Galfmon's bellowing scream ruptured the ground behind Pikachu as he fled from as fast as he could. Omnimon intervened and slashed at Galfmon, breaking the demonic centaur's attack. Ash ran up and snatched Pikachu out of harm's way.   
  
"Are you okay?" asked Ash.   
  
"Pika! (Yeah, I'm fine!)" replied Pikachu.   
  
"Without that bracer, Pikachu can't harm Galfmon. Leave the battle to us," said Matt.   
  
Before Ash could answer, the remains of the bracer began to glow with vibrant golden light. The light blinded Galfmon completely. "What's going on?"   
  
Elsewhere, Angewomon and Magna Angemon continued their fight with the reanimated corpses of the Legendary Birds. They were formidable opponents made even more so by their undead state. This new power didn't without a price; it gave them a weakness to Holy powers they did not have in the past. Unfortunately for them, the two angel Digimon were masters of Holy power. Each hit the angels scored on the Birds caused an excruciating, burning pain.   
  
The bracer's light consumed the world and blinded the Birds as well. "That light!" noticed Kari.   
  
"Where's it coming from?" wondered TK.   
  
Whereas the light was painful to the Birds, it was empowering to the angels. The power surged within Magna Angemon and propelled him to new heights of power. "Magna Angemon, Mega Digivolve to..."   
  
Magna Angemon released feathers as white as those of a dove. Golden light surrounded his body and formed brilliant silvery armour marked by golden holy emblems, and blue joint guards. Magna Angemon's mitre vanished in a burst of golden light, revealing the face of a handsome blond man with long hair. This light coalesced into a blue face mask with a gold cross on it. Ten wings of gold formed on the new Digimon's back as he stood at attention and radiated iridescent light.   
  
"Seraphimon!"   
  
The light made Angewomon's strength surge and propelled her to a new Digivolutionary level. "Angewomon, Mega Digivolve to..."   
  
Angewomon crisscrossed her hands and gazed at the brilliant sun above her. Her helmet rose ever higher towards the sun to reveal the face of a beautiful blonde woman. She became surrounded by an aura of pink light as she transformed into a dragon. This dragon was a cat-like creature with pink fluffy fur. She was a majestic, saintly creature with ten pink angelic wings. The dragon flew in a circle and exhaled a blast of radiant golden flame.   
  
"Magnadramon!"   
  
"They Digivolved!" exclaimed Kari.   
  
"...To Mega!" finished TK. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Seraphimon   
Attribute: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Attacks: Seven Heavens, Testament   
  
This exalted Digimon stands as the highest of all angel Digimon. With his divine powers of light, no evil will escape the wrath of the Sovereigns.   
  
_**

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Magnadramon   
Attribute: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Attacks: Holy Flame, Apocalypse   
  
This saintly dragon was born of goodness and divine grace. She fights the forces of evil with ferocity befitting of dragon kind.   
  
_**

Undead Moltres exhaled a jet of roaring flames at Seraphimon, who simply warded it away with a wall of light. Undead Articuno sprayed a blast of ice that Seraphimon deflected with a new wall. As they flew away to gain distance, Seraphimon cupped his hands and prepared a Seven Heavens attack. After gathering the needed energy, he fired seven spheres of golden Holy energy, striking Undead Articuno in the back. The spheres burst in a glorious golden light which consumed both Legendary Birds and disintegrated them.   
  
Magnadramon intercepted Undead Zapdos' electric blast with her golden fiery breath. The Holy Flame and the lightning cancelled each other out on collision explosively. Magnadramon suddenly emerged from the smoke and rammed into Undead Zapdos headfirst. Upon recovering, Undead Zapdos arced lightning from his mouth, but Magnadramon casually raised a barrier of light to defend herself. Magnadramon countered with a burst of Holy Flame which scorched Zapdos and granted the peace of death to him.   
  
TK, Kari, Seraphimon, and Magnadramon rushed to reinforce their brothers' battle against Galfmon. "Tai! We're here!" cried Kari.   
  
"We beat the Birds and Magna Angemon and Angewomon Digivolved!" informed TK.   
  
"Alright!" cheered Matt.   
  
"How did it happen?" asked Tai.   
  
"We saw this bright golden light right and then it happened," noted Kari.   
  
"It must be the bracer then," suspected Ash.   
  
"Whatever it was, it worked in our favour," said TK. "Get him you guys!" The three Holy Digimon, Omnimon, Seraphimon, and Magnadramon surrounded Galfmon and prepared for their attack. 

  
  
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In the outskirts of Saffron, the Army Ant and its Liberator escort approached the President's bunker. One of the rebels scanned the area through a pair of binoculars. The entrance of the bunker itself was a small shack built in the middle of nowhere. The area was cordoned off by a chain-link fence and machine gunners lurked behind each of the sandbag nests. There were automated gun turrets at various points around the compound that swivelled around in search of trespassers.   
  
"Okay guys, fan out and surround the area," ordered Surge over the Army Ant's radio. "When I give the signal, begin the attack."   
  
The Liberator forces obeyed and took various positions around the bunker's area. The rebels made sure to cover each side so there was nowhere to escape. Each soldier and Pokemon took cover behind anything they could find and watched the bunker. Surge gave the command to attack. A Dragonite fired a Hyper Beam which blew an automated guns to pieces. The enemy soldiers were caught off guard and opened fire as they scrambled for cover. Pandemonium had descended on the bunker.   
  
"Kenji, we're going in. Get ready!" warned Surge.   
  
"Aye, Lieutenant!" replied Kenji.   
  
The Army Ant marched into position and opened fire. Kenji's bullets chewed up a nearby automated cannon. The machine gunners opened fire on the Army Ant but its armour was too strong to penetrate. Their bullets simply ricocheted off the Army Ant's body harmlessly. Kenji swivelled the gun and unleashed a torrent of bullets at one of the machine gunners. The soldier panicked and ducked behind his sandbags for safety.   
  
"This is for my father!" stated Kenji, as he downed one of the machine gunners with his bullets.   
  
The battle was already underway on the outside, but was just beginning in the bunker. Several Ground type Pokemon tunnelled deep into the ground and came upon a steel plate. They had reached the bunker. The Liberator trainers released several Fire type Pokemon as others prepared to shoot whoever lurked on the other side. The Fire Pokemon applied fire to the plate and melted through it after a few seconds. The Liberators stormed inside.   
  
The teams swept through the bunker with speed and efficiency, gunning down any enemy soldier who got in their way. The Liberators eventually found a room containing an unassuming man and several bodyguards. They had this group surrounded on all sides. The man identified himself as Kanto's President and voluntarily surrendered. They group handed their weapons over and raised their arms. The Liberators captured the rest of Kanto's ruling elite and led them out of the bunker.   
  
Somewhere in Saffron, Team Rocket began to vacate their operations. They loaded all of their equipment into trucks as Giovanni packed his documents in his suitcases. The Team Rocket leader hopped into his limousine. "Step on it!"   
  
The limo and trucks pulled out of a garage and entered the streets of Saffron. The Liberators' had initiated their coup and the fighting had begun. Sporadic bangs from gunfire ripped through the air from the direction of the Presidential Mansion. They people were scared and cowered in their abodes while waiting for the violence to end. A beam of coherent cut through the sky and a brilliant plume of flame burst into the sky.   
  
Giovanni watched the battle behind him as his limo sped away. Team Rocket reached its destination, the Saffron airport. Giovanni boarded his personal plane and stroked his Persian while he waited for take off. The leader of Team Rocket looked outside and watched his underlings load equipment into several cargo planes. Feeling famished, Giovanni ordered a meal from his stewardess. The jet took to the skies for parts unknown and disappeared behind the fog of war.   
  
The rebels captured the building swiftly and made the event known to the world. The Liberators made their victory know to the world. "We, the Liberators of Kanto, have taken the Presidential Mansion. We hereby announce our surrender to the Hoenn Alliance." 

  
  
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Omnimon, Seraphimon, and Magnadramon continued their titanic clash with Galfmon. Seraphimon invoked Testament and called a column of light to burst from the sky and strike the demonic centaur. Magnadramon followed with a torrent of golden flame that burned Galfmon to his very soul. As the coup de grace, Omnimon scored a final Supreme Cannon shot that flattened Galfmon. Despite being pummelled by a series of Holy based attacks, the demonic centaur was still able to return to his feet.   
  
Galfmon blew a chilling Blizzard at Magnadramon, covering her body with a thick coating of snow and ice. The demonic centaur turned to Omnimon, created Giga Cannons from the darkness that oozed from his body, and gunned the Holy Knight down. Seraphimon fired a Seven Heavens in response, but Galfmon hid behind the protective aura of the Protect Pokemon ability. The demonic centaur gathered darkness for a Shadow Ball that knocked Seraphimon out of the sky.   
  
Tai was surprised at how much damage Galfmon could take. "Man, we pounded this guy with tons of Holy attacks! How can he still be alive?"   
  
TK was wondering the same thing until his eyes caught sight of the Stone of Darkness. "I think we were going about this the wrong way. We keep trying to beat Galfmon by attacking him. Instead of attacking him, what if we attack his Stone of Doom instead?"   
  
"I get it!" replied Matt. "He gets his power from the Stone of Darkness. If we get rid of it, he's done for."   
  
"Let Omnimon take care of it," said Tai. "The rest of you concentrate on Galfmon."   
  
The others agreed to the plan. Seraphimon and Magnadramon picked themselves off the ground and charged at Galfmon with renewed vigour. Seraphimon struck Galfmon down with a Seven Heavens that exploded with the force of a tactical nuclear strike. Magnadramon came in fast and roasted the fallen Galfmon with Holy Flame. Under the cover of his friends' diversion, Omnimon retreated from the main battle and positioned himself behind the Stone of Darkness.   
  
He took a clean shot at the Stone and demolished a huge chunk of it. To his surprise, the darkness in the area coalesced and reformed the section he destroyed. "What gives?" wondered Matt.   
  
Omnimon fired again, this time with all the power he could muster. The Supreme Cannon's shot punched an even larger crater, but the mountain returned to normal soon after. "It's no good!"   
  
"Hey guys!" called Sora from the back of Phoenixmon. The others had come as reinforcements after defeating the Demi Lich and the Orcs.   
  
"Sora, you're just in time. We need help to destroy the Stone of Darkness," requested Matt.   
  
"It keeps repairing itself if we try to destroy it. We have to hit it so fast so it won't have time to recover," informed Ash. "Pokeballs go!"   
  
In a flash of crimson light, Ash's Cyndaquil, Chikorita, Totodile, Noctowl, and Heracross appeared and began to demolish the mountain. The others joined in and quickly established a pattern. Zudomon ripped sections of the Stone off while Grass Pokemon used Razor Leaf to slice off sections of the mountain. Nearby, the Fire Pokemon bathed their droppings in fire to destroy them. Machamp tore a boulder of the obsidian Stone of Doom material and tossed it into the flames.   
  
The group was gaining ground and gradually wearing the mountain away. Galfmon used his Black Requiem and hummed a grim song. His notes bathed Seraphimon and Magnadramon in auras of darkness which wracked their bodies with pain and caused them to collapse. He suddenly felt his power being eroded as the heroes chipped away at the Stone of Darkness. He promptly charged at them and interrupted their operation. The heroes scattered as Galfmon bombed the area with repeated Shadow Balls.   
  
Phoenixmon pecked Galfmon in the face, ending his assault on the heroes. Seraphimon rejoined the battle and invoked a Testament. A column descended from the sky and flattened Galfmon in a massive explosion. Magnadramon swooped in and bathed the fallen centaur with roaring Holy Flame. They kept the pressure on and Galfmon pinned onto the ground. His body was wracked by pain and he was unable to continue his attack on the heroes.   
  
"Take care of the Stone of Darkness. We'll keep him pinned down," said Seraphimon.   
  
The heroes returned their attention onto the mountain and picked up the pace to make up for lost time. After what felt like an eternity, the heroes wiped out the last vestiges of the Stone of Darkness. "NOOOOOO!" cried Galfmon. "DAMN YOU ALL!"   
  
"Everybody, let's put him away for good!" called Omnimon.   
  
The Pokemon and Ultimate Digimon all turned their ire onto Galfmon and pelted him with their attacks. Without the Stone of Darkness, Galfmon's power was drastically reduced. This was worsened by the fact that he was fatigued fighting the Megas. Pain coursed through Galfmon's body as the Pokemon and the Ultimate Digimon maintained the pressure. Phoenixmon and Magnadramon bathed the Son of Apocalymon with an endless torrent of fiery breath as Seraphimon bombarded him with Testament.   
  
As the coup de grace, Omnimon took aim with his Supreme Cannon and fired a single, powerful shot. It struck its target and triggered a massive explosion which tore through Galfmon. The Son of Apocalymon screamed as he was annihilated by the heroes. Once the smoke cleared, all that remained was a huge smouldering crater. The darkness over the land lifted to reveal the bright, warm afternoon sun. The heroes cheered for the war was over and the Pokemon World was free at last. Galfmon, the last Son of Apocalymon, was no more.   
  
"We did it!" cheered Ash. "Wahoo!"   
  
"Pika, Pika! (Hip, hip, hooray!)" echoed Pikachu.   
  
May was elated. "We did it! I can't believe we did it!"   
  
Word of the heroes' victory spread like wildfire through the ranks of the Liberators. They too, had a won a victory by pulling off a successful coup which overthrew Mephistomon's repressive regime. Later on, a massive victory parade was held in cities across Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto. The people cheered with a boisterousness matching that of the dawn of a new year. The confetti rained down on the heroes' float as they passed by rows of elated Saffron citizens. The party lasted until late in the night. Fireworks burst in the starry sky as the sign of victory.   
  
During the festival, Gennai appeared to the heroes. "Great work guys! You did it!"   
  
"Gennai, what was that bracer you gave to me?" asked Ash.   
  
"When Galfmon broke it, it gave off this light which made Angewomon and Magna Angemon Digivolve..." informed Kari.   
  
"That bracer was Anubimon's, as I've already told you. He put a magic spell on so that if it was ever broken, it would transfer its power to your Digimon and enable them to Digivolve to Mega," replied Gennai.   
  
"Tell Anubismon I said 'thanks,'" requested Ash. "That bracer was a big help against Mephistomon."   
  
"I will," promised Gennai. "Enjoy the celebration everybody, you've earned it. I have some business to take care of, so bye for now!" Gennai and the heroes waved goodbye to each other as he disappeared in a nimbus of iridescent light. 

  
  
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As the heroes celebrated their victory over Mephistomon and Kanto, they were unaware of a meeting that was taking place in the Digital World. Datamon, a technician for Team Rocket's Server lab, wandered the seemingly endless wastes. He had survived the collapse of the lab, which had been brought about after his Dark Ring Digimon went berserk. He found some ruins buried beneath the sand and made camp inside to rest.   
  
Datamon cursed himself for listening to his superior's orders. "Damn, I knew I shouldn't have sent those Digimon out. What was I thinking? Now I'm trapped in this dump!"   
  
Datamon started fires on nearby torches and took one with him for lighting. He scanned around, not recognizing the purpose or significance of this place. As he scanned the rooms, his scanners indicated that this ruin was more than a thousand years old. From the design, it appeared to be a temple or some other place of worship. As he combed deeper, he came across a hoard of gold and jewels. His jaw dropped as he beheld the mountains of coins and jewels.   
  
There were enough riches there to make Datamon a millionaire. He would never have to worry about funds for his research ever again. As he wandered around the room admiring the treasure, an earthquake struck the place and knocked him onto his back. Datamon gathered as much gold as he could carry and fled the treasure chamber. As he neared the ruins' entrance, the roof above it caved in. He had been sealed inside the ruins forever.   
  
Datamon dropped to his knees out of despair. He was rich beyond his wildest dreams, but it was worthless to him as long as he was trapped in the ruins. His spirit was broken and he moped back to the treasure room. He eventually wandered into a second chamber behind the treasure room. He had missed this room in his haste escape with the gold. At the centre of this room was a pedestal on which a large, black metal coin rested. There was the image of a wizard's face on the coin.   
  
It looked like a rare and valuable antique. "Ah, what use is this? It can't get me out of here," thought Datamon, as he held the coin.   
  
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong!" replied an unknown, but shady voice.   
  
Datamon was shocked, as the voice came unexpectedly. "Who are you? Where are you? Show yourself!"   
  
"I'm in the coin, moron!" replied the voice sarcastically. Datamon looked at the coin to find that the wizard's face was moving on its own as it spoke! "It seems your trapped just like I am, Datamon..."   
  
"So what's it to you?" asked Datamon defiantly.   
  
"I am a very astute and wealthy businessman, if I do say so myself. I would like to make a deal with you," replied the coin.   
  
"...And just what is this deal?" asked Datamon.   
  
"Both of us want to be free, so why don't we help each other? You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. I know you are a consummate scientist. If you can free me from this coin, I can give you all the money you need for your research."   
  
"How do I free you from this coin?"   
  
"All you need to do is to melt it down and I'll be free."   
  
"How? There's nothing hot enough to do that here!"   
  
"Don't worry about that. I'll show you a way soon enough. So, do we have a deal?" asked the voice.   
  
"Very well, it's a deal." 

  
  
The End?   
  



End file.
